Overview of the Role The post holder will be responsible for:
• Providing a service which optimises safe, high quality and holistic care
• Maintaining a high standard of clinical practice
• Ensuring patient confidentiality and privacy
• Acting as advocate for patients with acquired brain injury and stroke
• Supporting NRH Interdisciplinary Teams (IDT) in rehabilitation planning for patients
ACCOUNTABLILITY, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES General Accountability
• The post holder has accountability both professionally and legally for decisions she/he makes which impacts patient and staff health, safety and welfare.
• Ensure that a safe environment is maintained for staff and visitors in compliance with Health and Safety requirements and best practice.
• Being responsible for the day-to-day security of the work area to which assigned, with particular awareness of fire regulations and security arrangements.
• Keeping up to date with all relevant mandatory training for the department.
Specific Accountability
She/he is accountable for ensuring a high standard of patient care, including maintaining the patient's privacy and dignity at all times.
She/he is accountable for managing their role as outreach specialist within the Brain Injury and Stroke Programmes and maintaining her/his own case load.
Where necessary she/he is responsible for linking in with other professionals in order to ensure all the patients' needs are met.
Outline of Duties and Responsibilities
• Act as a support and liaison between the NRH and referring agencies in the interest of the patient with complex needs.
• Provide assessment and recommendations of patients and families as required.
• Gain high quality pre-admission assessment of rehabilitation needs of patients waitlisted for the Brain Injury and Stroke Programmes at NRH through direct and indirect work.
• Communicate rehabilitation needs of all patients to NRH IDTs to assist with rehabilitation planning.
• Provide NRH Rehabilitation Medicine Consultants and IDTs with recommendations as to the best placement along the rehabilitation continuum and location of these services for each patient, taking into account their individual physical, psychological and social factors.
• Provide direct patient input and IDT education to support the admission (to the NRH) or post discharge rehabilitation of NRH patients.
• Provide relevant stakeholders with information of alternative rehabilitation services nationally for the benefit of all patients.
• Coordinate IDT outreach or other visits from NRH to referred patients as required.
• Co-ordinate IDT teleconference or other meetings regarding complex patients on a pre-admission or post discharge basis.
• Attend waiting list management meetings.
• Work with the Rehabilitation Coordinator to deliver standardised patient information to NRH IDTs.
• Liaise with staff and other agencies to promote an appropriate and efficient admission system to the NRH.
• Liaise with staff and other agencies to support discharge planning at the earliest stage possible
• Liaise with all relevant parties to assist with effective management of each patient case.
• Provide the patient and his family with an understanding of the rehabilitation process and its outcome.
• Act as an advocate for the patient and his family at meetings with hospital and community services and other relevant agencies.
Management:
• Maintain accurate records, including statistical data relevant to all aspects of patient care and submit activity data as required.
• Manage caseload effectively.
• Establish links with other organisations, both at national and international level.
• Represent the hospital at local, national and international meetings as required.
Education:
• Give advice and recommendations to local teams from referring agencies in relation to earlier intervention to help minimise secondary complications and regarding discharge planning.
• Attend study days and conferences in order to update knowledge in the area of brain injury.
• Keep abreast of new developments in the area of brain injury through specialist literature.
• Deliver IDT education as required by the brain injury and stroke programmes.
Research:
• Develop an awareness of evidence-based practice.
• Apply research findings to defined patient populations e.g.
brain injured patients.
Self Development:
The post holder is expected to:
• Maintain and update knowledge and keep abreast of relevant professional development and all current trends in rehabilitation nursing.
• Discuss present performance and future needs with the Brain Injury and Stroke Programmes Manager.
Patient Safety & Quality The NRH prioritises the delivery of quality and safe patient care under HIQA and other quality standards.
It is the responsibility of all staff at all levels to ensure that the highest level of quality services required for each patient is maintained.
If you have a concern regarding any issue of patient safety and well-being please bring this to the immediate attention of your manager.
Quality and Patient Safety supports the Health Service to deliver high quality and safe services to patients and service users.
The post-holder is responsible and accountable to deliver a quality service that ensures patient safety.
The post holder will work within a risk management framework that complies with the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) National Standards and other quality standards as appropriate