Job Description: Senior Sister
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & QUALIFICATIONS
REPORTING TO: Home Manager
Required:
• SANC registered
• Clinical Expertise in Professional area of qualification
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels
• Ability to manage pressure and conflicting demands, and prioritise tasks
• Team player
• Genuine interest in working with Clients living with Dementia
• Ability to work within a legislative framework
• Satisfactory Police Check
Desired:
• Care for the Elderly experience / qualification
• Previous management / supervisory experience
JOB PURPOSE:
As the Senior Sister, you will oversee / maintain the care of all residents at the Home and ensure the highest possible standard of care in a professional manner through direct nursing care and effective supervision of the qualified nursing team. In the absence of the Home Manager, you will be the Person in Charge of the Home and take responsibility for resident care, and staff. Your duties and responsibilities will include:
Clinical Leadership:
• Managing and co-ordinating the day-to-day activity of the Treatment Room.
• Providing guidance, advice, information, and effective decision making for the qualified nursing & caring team.
• Acting as an expert practitioner and professional role model, demonstrating advanced clinical skills, promoting clinical excellence, and ensuring an optimum standard of nursing care.
• Acting as a competent and efficient clinical and managerial decision maker within and on behalf of the nursing & caring team and taking responsibility for those decisions.
• Identifying key areas of practice requiring development and prioritising, developing and implementing change to improve the quality of nursing & caring.
• Taking overall responsibility and lead in changes affecting the nursing & caring team.
• Demonstrating a high degree of co-ordination and dexterity.
Care:
• Taking responsibility for Client care, as designated by the Home Manager in his / her absence.
• Reporting any ill health amongst Clients and making requests for GP / Professional visits where necessary.
• Assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating individualised care, seeking medical or other interventions as required.
• Participating in the evaluation and review of policies and procedures as and when required.
• Ensuring collection of any specimens that have to be sent to the surgery / hospital.
• Carrying out all nursing procedures efficiently and effectively.
• Administering prescribed medicines and maintaining the appropriate records in line with the Company’s policies and procedures, and guidelines.
• Practicing maximum integrity in all dealings with Clients’ affairs, and avoiding abuse of the privileged relationship that exists with Clients.
• Maintaining accurate records and ensuring that each Client within the Home has an individualised Care Plan. Client Care Plans to be monitored, updated and audited on an ongoing basis in line with the Company’s policies and procedures, and guidelines.
• Ensuring that the qualified nursing & caring team embraces the fundamental principles of good care practice and achieving this by regularly reviewing and auditing the progress of any task set, setting deadlines, and the monitoring of such deadlines to achieve the outcome(s) required.
• Developing and maintaining appropriate data collection for audit effectiveness.
Communication:
• Obtaining and providing a comprehensive report from the Person in Charge and advising the Home Manager of any incident / accident and status of any Clients whose care / health is causing concern.
• Supervising visits and liaising with GPs in order to establish a good relationship between GPs / Health Care Professionals and the Home.
• Informing the Kitchen of any special dietary needs. Supervising the serving of meals, and ensuring that the special dietary needs of individual Clients are being met.
• Establishing and maintaining good communication with Clients, Relatives and the multidisciplinary team.
• Ensuring a clear and concise handover report is given to all relevant Staff Members at the end of each shift.
• Participating in Staff and Client meetings as required.
• Providing support and guidance when required.
Budgetary / Financial Control:
• Awareness of the need to manage and maintain budgets agreed by the Home.
• Ensuring that all commodities used in and around the Home are sensibly conserved by all Staff Members e.g. monitor the usage of incontinence aids, wipes, dressings, electricity etc.
Human Resources (HR):
• Interviewing for new Staff Members with Line Management as and when required, in line with the Company’s Recruitment policy.
• Participating in Staff Induction & Training programmes as and when required.
Marketing:
• Actively marketing the Home and promoting a positive personal / professional profile within the local community, and ensuring the good reputation of the Home at all times.
• Ensuring the Home is attractively presented, and odour free, at all times, in line with the Company’s attention to detail philosophy.
• Ensuring a viewing room is suitably presented and available at all times (unless the Home is fully occupied).
• Dealing with potential Clients as requested.
Training & Development:
• Supervising and instructing junior and new Staff Members in all aspects of their work in the Home, giving help and guidance where appropriate.
• Maintaining and improving professional knowledge and competence. Keeping professionally updated in all areas of clinical expertise.
• Attending mandatory training days / courses, on or off site, as and when required.
Health & Safety:
• Reporting immediately to the Home Manager, or the Person in Charge, any illness of an infectious nature or accident incurred by a Client, colleague, self or another.
• Understanding and ensuring the implementation of the Home’s Quality control, Health and Safety, Infection Control and Hygiene policies, and Emergency and Fire procedures.
• Reporting to the Home Manager, or the Handyperson, any faulty appliances, damaged furniture, equipment or any potential hazard.
• Promoting safe working practice within the Home.
General:
• Taking steps to protect Residents from any form of abuse or neglect and use the appropriate reporting mechanisms to inform the Home’s Management of any concerns.
• Adhering to all new, and changes in Local and Central Government initiatives as and when they are implemented.
• Adhering to all appropriate guidelines / regulations, and providing written evidence of such adherence upon request from Management.
• Ensuring that all existing stocks are maintained in a safe, tidy environment. Ordering new supplies as and when required.
• Maintaining all Logbooks and records as required by both the Registering Authority and the Directors of the Company.
• Ensuring that all information of a confidential nature, gained in the course of work is not divulged to third parties.
• Notifying the Home Manager, or the Person in Charge, as soon as possible of your inability to report for duty, and also on your return to work from all periods of absence.
• Ensuring the security of the Home is maintained at all times.
• Adhering to all Company policies and procedures within the defined timescales.
• Ensuring all equipment is clean and well maintained.
• Carry outing any other tasks that may be reasonably assigned to you.
This Job Description indicates only the main duties and responsibilities of the post. It is not intended as an exhaustive list.