Adult and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses

Adult and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses (SNP22)

Applications are now invited for the following positions:

Adult and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses
(Permanent full time General Adult and Adolescent contracts available)

Please note your interest in either General Adult, Adolescent or both on your application.

SPMHS is the largest independent, not-for-profit mental health service provider in Ireland, offering fantastic job opportunities in psychiatric nursing.

The successful applicants must:

• Hold current registration with the psychiatric division, or be Eligible for registration with the psychiatric division which nursing and midwifery board of Ireland.
• Proven ability to establish solid working relationships within an organisation and with service users.
• Excellent, proven clinical knowledge.
• Post registration experience is desirable.
• Adolescent applicants only: adolescent mental health nursing experience desirable.

All successful applicants will be placed on a panel and appointments will be made subject to operational requirements.

Job Description
Job Title: Staff Nurse

Reporting to: Director of Nursing or designate

Place of Work: St Patrick’s University Hospital or Willow Grove Adolescent Unit, James’s Street, Dublin 8.

Main Purpose: To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team within the context of the designated ward. To assess, plan, implement and evaluate nursing care and work in collaboration with other professionals in achieving the delivery of a quality and safe service that is keeping with the Hospitals mission.

Hours of Work: The standard working week applying to the post is based on a 75 hour fortnight on a 5 or 7 day week rotating shift basis.

General Adult Duties:

1. Organisational Management
   • Demonstrate the ability to take charge of a ward in the absence of a more senior nurse.
   • Facilitate and co-operate with any inspectorates to the Hospital.
   • Report, in accordance with Hospital procedures, any activities which jeopardise patient, staff or visitor safety.
2. Prevention and Control of Infection:
   • Provide care in keeping with the Hospital infection control policy, to reduce the risks of the acquisition and transmittal of infection among patients, staff and visitors to the Hospital.
   • Liaise with the Infection Control Nurse and unit supervisor, in ensuring that all legislative requirements and Hospital policies and procedures pertaining to the control of infection are adhered to.
3. Quality Improvement & Patient Safety:
   • Participate in quality improvement activities in order to maintain a high standard of patient care and clinical assessment.
   • Implement and evaluate nursing practice in order to minimise risk.
4. Facility Management & Safety (Health & Safety):
   • Work to provide a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors, in accordance with Hospital policy and legislation.
   • Support all risk management activities within the Hospital to enhance safety of patients, staff and visitors.
   • Report all incidents and accidents.
5. Staff Qualification & Management:
   • Play an active role in the identification of the educational and training requirements of students and staff.
   • Participate in ongoing professional development activities within the service.
6. Management of Information:
   • Maintain patient, staff and hospital confidentiality in accordance with Hospital policies and procedures.
   • Ensure all data relating to patients physical, psychological and social state is obtained, recorded appropriately and used to inform the patient care plan.
   • Adhere to all hospital policies and legislative requirements concerning the management of patient medical records.

2. PATIENT CENTRED CARE

1. Access to Care & Continuity of Care:
   • Provide evidence-based care, respecting the patient’s individual, physical, psychosocial, spiritual and cultural needs.
   • Ensure and facilitate patients and their families involvement in the planning and decision making process surrounding patient care.
2. Patient & Family Rights:
   • Promote and protect the rights of patients at all times during their care.
   • Promote and facilitate advocacy in the service.
   • Support and facilitate patient and family involvement in the decisions relating to their care of the patient when appropriate.
   • Remain conversant with mental health legislation.
3. Assessment of Patients:
   • Participate in and conduct the initial and ongoing assessments and re-assessment of patient’s care in order to provide the most appropriate and safe nursing care, using Hospital approved assessment tools.
   • Ensure the completion of all nursing assessments and care planning documentation that is reflective of the nursing care provided to patients.
   • Incorporate the patients physical, psychological, social circumstances, values and beliefs and health history in all assessments and be considerate of his/her personal wishes.
4. Care of Patients:
   • Treat all patients and their families as individuals.
   • Assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care in accordance with the Nursing process.
   • Deliver care consistent with patients and their families expectations where possible, and in keeping with evidence-based practice.
5. Patient & Family Education:
   • Assess each patient’s educational needs at the point of contact within the service and during their stay in hospital.
   • Facilitate patient understanding of procedures requiring informed consent in accordance with Hospital procedures.
   • Educate and assist the patient in preparation for their discharge.

Adolescent Duties:

• Function as a Named Key Nurse, within a multi-disciplinary team to a defined group of young people within the overall unit complement.
• Participation in the comprehensive assessment of young people who present to the adolescent unit in collaboration with the young person, their family and the multi-disciplinary team.
• Plan and implement appropriate recovery oriented care plans for each young person that are evidence based and incorporate best practice guidelines.
• Provide nursing care based on ongoing assessment of a young person’s daily functioning, identified needs and goals and which takes cognisance of a young person's strengths.
• Collaborate with each young person/family on the development of recovery oriented goals and ongoing progress of their care plan.
• Plan, facilitate and evaluate appropriate nursing interventions in the context of the key working role which assist the young person to achieve the goals identified in their care plan.
• Complete written records in line with hospital policy, ensuring relevant clinical information is documented accurately and legibly.
• Promote collegiality and team working through respectful communication, approachability, respect for other people’s opinions and actively work to create a positive work environment.
• Plan, implement and evaluate individual, group, family or parenting therapeutic interventions either alone under direct supervision or jointly with another professional.
• Contribute to the maintenance of the Therapeutic Milieu model with a view to empowering young people to realise and maintain their potential in relation to health and wellbeing.
• Practice within An Bord Altranais Code of Professional Conduct for each Nurses and Midwives’ (2000), the Mental Health Act 2001, Children’s First Guidelines and all other relevant legislation.
• To comply with the defined policies, procedures, standards and protocols of the unit, the adolescent service and the wider organisation to ensure professional accountability, excellent clinical governance and delivery of a high-quality service.
• Supervise and support the practice of less experienced staff, both qualified and unqualified, including the provision of relevant support which might be required to address professional capability issues.
• When required periodically assess the competence of students and less experienced staff and support their professional development.
• Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development by availing of all learning opportunities provided/offered, and attend all mandatory training.
• Participate in regular management support and supervision sessions and avail of clinical supervision with named clinical supervisor.
• Take charge of the ward in the absence of a clinical nurse manager and ensure the quality of care and standards of safety are maintained.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the distress caused by mental illness, and the social and personal consequences of mental illness for young people and their families.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the effects of the role on ones’ own mental health and wellbeing, and demonstrate ability to seek assistance and guidance from colleagues where appropriate.

These Job Descriptions are not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties. The person appointed may be required to perform other duties as appropriate which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the position.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Staff Nurse

Qualifications and/ or experience (essential unless otherwise noted):

Candidates must have:

• Hold current registration with the psychiatric division, or be Eligible for registration with the psychiatric division which nursing and midwifery board of Ireland.
• Proven ability to establish solid working relationships within an organisation and with service users.
• Excellent, proven clinical knowledge.
• Post registration experience is desirable.
• Adolescent applicants only: adolescent mental health nursing experience desirable.

Skills, competencies and/or knowledge

• Knowledge of outside agencies and their roles and functions.
• Experience in facilitating therapeutic groups.
• Experience in working in cross functional and multidisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of Mental Health Commission legislative and regulatory guidelines for service delivery.
• Clear understanding of and commitment to the Hospital Strategy.

Competencies/Skills

• Strong Communication / interpersonal skills.
• Self Motivated with Initiative.
• Proven ability to work in a team.
• Ability to develop and maintain constructive working relationships at all levels both within the organisation and with third parties including service user groups.
• Assertiveness.
• Organisational, Administrative and I.T. skills.
• Proven leadership qualities within defined parameters.
• Proven awareness of own limitations and ability to take direction when required.

Note: all criteria outlined above are essential, unless otherwise indicated

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Staff Nurse

Tenure: Permanent contracts available, pensionable as below.

Working Week: The standard hours applying to this position is 75 hour fortnight worked over a Monday - Sunday week or Monday – Friday week, both on a rotating shift as rostered.

Salary: Salary for the position will be dependent on the appointee’s experience and based on the SPMHS 2024 Enhanced Staff Nurse salary scale.

Annual Leave The annual leave associated with Staff Nurse grade.

Pension: All pensionable staff become members of the pension scheme after successful completion of probation. The scheme is a defined contribution scheme with a deduction from the salary of the employee of 4%. In respect of an internal appointment being made the individuals existing pension arrangements will continue.

Probation: The appointee will be appointed in a probationary capacity for the first six months during which time the job holder’s performance will be subject to ongoing review.

Any extension to or suspension of the period of probation will be in line with the European Union (Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions) 2022.

Health: The appointee must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the position and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Character: The appointee must be of good character.

Retirement Age: Normal retirement age for employees is 66 years which at present is also normal pension age.#J-18808-Ljbffr

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