Multiple Sclerosis Specialist Nurse

at  Ashford and St Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Multiple Sclerosis team to appoint an enthusiastic, motivated, dynamic nurse to make a significant difference to the health outcomes of adults with MS.
This is a part time role, 30 hours per week, 7.30 per day working within an established MS team that includes MS specialist nurse, Neurology consultants, MS coordinator and administrator. The team work collectively to provide comprehensive care and support for the local MS population.
As well as working as part of the team the successful candidate will work autonomously in the delivery of nurse-led clinics and patient monitoring.
If you are interested in working with us, would like further information or would like to come for an informal visit, please contact Rizelda Machado on 01932 722082 or email rizelda.machado@nhs.net

The postholder will

• To effectively manage a caseload of patients / clients.
• To ensure that patients and their families are fully informed and supported by providing clinical and social support.
• To identify and work closely with other stake holders linking services for people with MS across primary and secondary care utilising this role to help avoid hospital admissions and for planning early discharge.
• Manage the group of MS patients using the infusion suite at Ashford hospital for their MS therapies. Maintain effective communication and relationship with the infusion suite staff. Organise cover for infusions when MS nurse is not available.
• Provide nurse-led clinics, ward visits and domiciliary visits where appropriate.
• To education patients about monitoring requirements of particular disease modifying therapies. Ensuring these tests are done and patients are maintained within safe parameters.
• Ordering diagnostic tests when required within agreed parameters

Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of more than 410,000 people living in North-West Surrey, parts of Hounslow and beyond.
Over 3,700 highly trained doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, healthcare scientists and other support staff make up our workforce, providing a wide range of services across our two hospital sites, Ashford, Surrey and St Peter’s, Chertsey, Surrey.
We also run many specialist clinics in the community and local community hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
Our vision is to be one of the best healthcare Trusts in the country. There has never been a better time to join us in the NHS at ASPH. We are committed to providing continuous professional development and flexibility to shape our workforce around our patient care.
We are expanding our theatres at Ashford Hospital and moving towards this becoming our dedicated elective centre. We want to create a state-of-the-art centre for excellence for planned surgical procedures.
We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:
Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
On-site Nurseries
On-site staff cafes
On-site parking
Support in career development
Salary Sacrifice schemes including wage stream, lease cars, Cycle to Work schemes and home electronics
Adverts may close early, so applicants are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.

Education of patients and staff

• To identify and meet the educational needs of the patient and their family and carers
• Act as a specialist resource and first line contact for patients and their carers providing relevant education, advice, support and information
• Support with patient education groups and to other health and social care professionals
• To ensure all patients are fully informed of the risks and benefits of proposed procedures / treatments, contributing to the process of securing informed consent.
• To help organise and contribute to patient education events including ‘newly diagnosed course’, ‘digesting science and participate in the delivery of other programmes of education and training according to the identified care needs of patients and carers.
• To attend meetings and conferences as appropriate ensuring that you are fully conversant with current issues both within the Trust and within specialist services locally and nationally.
• To promote and facilitate evidence-based practice and clinical audit within the Trust, raising the profile and enhancing the contribution of nursing to patient care and informing business and service development plans.
• To participate and assist with any appropriate/relevant Trust approved research projects conducted within the department

Over view of Responsibilities

Communications and Relationships

• To develop and sustain partnership working with individuals, groups, communities and agencies.
• To work autonomously by accepting responsibility for own patient caseload, ensuring all patients have an accurate plan of care, which reflects the assessment undertaken and incorporates the issues and recommendations made, and ensuring clear documentation in the patients’ records. Providing detailed baseline patient assessment and education and support to patients and their families.
• To maintain appropriate channels and styles of communication to meet the needs of patients’, relatives and carers, consultants, managers, peers and other profession / agencies.
• To continue to develop existing and establish new effective working relationships with other services within the hospital, community, clinical commissioning group, voluntary and public sector and actively participate in partnership working across all organisations.
• To communicate in a sensitive and professional manner with individuals with MS their relatives and carers in highly emotive or distressing circumstances taking into consideration their privacy, cultural values and beliefs.
• To act as an advocate for the patient when appropriate.
• To facilitate independence and empower patients in managing their own lives using educational strategies and motivational techniques.

Personal & Professional development

• To keep up to date with current developments in nursing and ensure evidence-based practice.
• To conduct oneself in accordance with NMC code of conduct and local policies.
• To update and maintain own specialist knowledge through critical self-appraisal, participation in clinical supervision and networking with other health care professionals locally and nationally, through a planned approach to continuing professional development.
• Ensure all mandatory training is up to date.
• To act as a resource for people with MS and health care professionals and workers within a variety of settings, providing highly specialist advice, support, and education in the management of the diverse problems relating to MS. Divisional Chief

Nurse, GSM
Multiple
Sclerosis
Specialist Nurse

Clinical responsibilities

• Provide nurse-led clinics and support the neurologist in MS MDT clinics
• Provide Ward visits and domiciliary visits where appropriate.
• Manage the group of MS patients using the infusion suite at Ashford hospital for their MS therapies. Maintain effective communication and relationship with the infusion suite staff.
• Undertake a holistic nursing assessment, implementation and evaluation of patient together with an awareness of their support network.
• To work autonomously by accepting responsibility for own patient caseload, ensuring all patients have an accurate plan of care, which reflects the assessment undertaken and incorporates the issues and recommendations made, and ensuring clear documentation in the patients’ records. Providing detailed baseline patient assessment and education and support to patients and their families.
• Manage all patients on any disease modifying therapy (DMT) including DMT’s for highly active rapidly evolving RRMS that require complex monitoring and preparation pre-treatment.
• To ensure patients are given all the information required about each DMT and the risks to enable them to consent to the treatment choice.
• To facilitate independence and empower patients in managing their own lives using educational strategies and motivational techniques.
• Requesting and monitoring of blood tests, MRI scans and other investigations as appropriate for particular treatments ensuring patients/ families are aware of the purpose of these and keeping medical colleagues aware of results.
• Maintain a support network and contact link for patients and/or families/carers.
• Accurate, contemporaneous record keeping in medical records and relevant databases.

Managerial

• Communicate effectively and maintain a harmonious environment.
• Complex case management in both hospital and community in association with MS team.
• Maintain a safe and healthy environment ensuring health and safety guidelines are Implemented and adhered to.
• To participate in the management of change to improve standards and communication links between primary, secondary and tertiary care.
• To comply with measures to actively manage and reduce risk to patients. Ensuring the formal reporting and recording of adverse incidents in line with Trust policy.
• Network with the team of clinical nurse specialists within the Trust, area wide and nationally to evaluate, develop and promote the specialist-nursing role
• Organise cover for infusion suite when MS nurse is not available

Education of patients and staff

• To identify and meet the educational needs of the patient and their family and carers
• Act as a specialist resource and first line contact for patients and their carers providing relevant education, advice, support and information
• Support with patient education groups and to other health and social care professionals
• To ensure all patients are fully informed of the risks and benefits of proposed procedures / treatments, contributing to the process of securing informed consent.
• To help organise and contribute to patient education events including ‘newly diagnosed course’, ‘digesting science and participate in the delivery of other programmes of education and training according to the identified care needs of patients and carers.
• To attend meetings and conferences as appropriate ensuring that you are fully conversant with current issues both within the Trust and within specialist services locally and nationally.
• To promote and facilitate evidence-based practice and clinical audit within the Trust, raising the profile and enhancing the contribution of nursing to patient care and informing business and service development plans.
• To participate and assist with any appropriate/relevant Trust approved research projects conducted within the department.