The post holder will provide strong leadership and clinical expertise which inspires and motivates others, empowering them to ensure the highest standards of infection prevention control (IPC) practice are delivered in accordance with all Trust IPC policies and procedures.
The post holder will be expected to provide expert advice, support the delivery of education and training and clinical audit, engage with ward and departmental managers and staff, Consultant Medical Microbiologist, microbiology personnel and external partners and colleagues.
The postholder will support and assist the Lead Nurse and Infection Control Doctor (ICD) in the monitoring, investigation, prevention and control of infection within the Trust’s hospitals and community services, enabling the Trust to meet its legal requirements under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (2022) and compliance with Outcome 8. This includes the organisation and prioritisation of IPC team activity and supervision and support of members of the IPC team as directed by the Lead Nurse.
We employ more than 6,500 staff who deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals, Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, health centres and in patients’ homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.
We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children’s and young people’s services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.
We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.
We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation. Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS – yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boards listen to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members – patients, staff and the local community.
Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in the changes to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.
Clinical/Professional Duties
• Day-to-day monitoring of infections within the Trust.
• Provide IPC advice and support to prevent and control infection and communicable disease risks for patients, visitors, carers, healthcare workers, support personnel and PFI partners.
• Carry out risk assessments on individual patients and clinical practices to reduce the risk of infection.
• Maintain effective communication with all disciplines within the organisation and external partners.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive written records
• Always protect the interests of the Trust in relation to staff, patients, and visitors.
• Be involved in evaluating new equipment with IPC implications, prior to its purchase
• Act as a change agent through involvement in identifying and introducing IPC best practice and innovation.
• Being progressive, professional, and honest.
• Develop and support development of action plans to improve and maintain IPC standards and take an active part in implementing those plans.
• Participate in the IPCN out-of-hours on-call rota.
• Plan, implement and evaluate education and training programmes for IPC.
• Acts as mentor and clinical supervisor for members of the IPCT at band 6 and below as directed by the Lead Nurse.
• Critically appraise and evaluate IPC knowledge/ practice across the Trust.
• Supervise and develop the IPCNs in line with the Trust’s Personal Development Plans and to meet the objectives of the Annual IPC programme.
• In conjunction with the Lead Nurse IPC, oversee the co-ordination, interpretation, response and reporting of the IPC audit/surveillance programme.
• Challenge unsafe practice in all levels of staff in order to reduce the risk of health care related infections.
• Maintain a high level of personal and professional behavior and attire, ensuring good working relationship with other members of the team, acting as a role model to maintain clinical excellence.
• Represent the IPCT as required by the Lead Nurse.
• Act as a principal resource for Divisions (rotational) including attendance at Divisional Boards
• Produce quarterly, bi-annual, annual, and ad-hoc reports, as applicable for the Infection Control Committee, Divisional Boards, Patient Safety and Quality Committees etc.
• Support the Lead Nurse in developing and implementing the annual IPC programme.
• Identify, investigate, and monitor hazardous practices associated with infection, in line with current legislation and practice.
• Liaise with and act as expert adviser to Occupational Health, Estates, PFI partners, Medical Devices, Purchasing Advising Groups, and other parties as appropriate
• Identify and escalate risks using the Risk Register
• Apply knowledge of the principles of decontamination to promote a safe environment and offer advice and support to the Trust’s decontamination manager
• Contribute in the development, review, and update of evidence-based policies, relating to IPC using available evidence to critically evaluate and develop standards for practice.
• Investigates outbreaks and incidents of infection and produces written reports for the ICD and the DIPC including recommendations to prevent and control further outbreaks and incidents.
• Maintain a high level of personal and professional behavior, ensuring good working relationship with other members of the team and acting as a role model.
• Participate in regular supervision with the Lead Nurse.
• Complete all requirements of mandatory training.
• Participate annually identifying, developing and agreeing your own development plan with your Line Manager using the Trust Appraisal.
• Comply with all Trust policies, procedures and protocols.
• Seek advice and support from Line Manager whenever necessary.
• Ensure maintenance of Professional Registration.
This job description is an outline only and is not definitive or restrictive in any way. It will be regularly reviewed and may be amended in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the post holder.
This advert closes on Sunday 30 Jun 2024
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