OPAT Specialist Nurse - Infectious Diseases

at  Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

We are seeking an enthusiastic individual to join the Wythenshawe Hospital OPAT team. We deliver a high quality service to patients requiring short and long term outpatient antimicrobial therapies. The aim of the OPAT service is to deliver a safe, efficient, quality service as close to the patient’s home as possible per the good practice recommendations for OPAT in adults in the UK.
To be successful you must be a fully registered Nurse, preferably have 3 years’ experience in an acute setting and be competent in IV drug administration.
Experience in the use of peripherally inserted intravascular devices and phlebotomy skills are desirable, although training will be provided. effective communication skills are essential as is the ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
Successful candidates will be required to work flexibly over 7 days (8 -1230 Sat/Sun) as a member of the OPAT team to ensure standards are being maintained, evaluated and where necessary improved. In addition to the obligatory clinical skills, the practitioner will have the opportunity to develop a range of additional skills or techniques that fall outside the usual scope of nursing practice, including the insertion of vascular access devices with the ultimate aim of p roviding expert clinical nursing interventions within the OPAT service as required. All training and support will be provided.

Administer IV antibiotics
Assess and train patients and families to administer their own intravenous antibiotics at home
Safely coordinate, support and monitor the care of these patients and those who require nurse-administered antibiotics at home or via the OPAT clinic
Act as a liaison point for OPAT patients and their carers at each stage of their OPAT journey
Liaise with community staff to monitor patient progress, providing support where needed
Be part of the nurse led skin and soft tissue infection service.
Provide vascular access advice and troubleshooting across the Wythenshawe site.
Education and audit of OPAT services, invasive line care and management
MFT is one of the largest NHS Trust In England with a turnover of £2.6bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We’re creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.
Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 28,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you’ll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.
We’ve also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.
We’re proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What’s more, we’re excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.
At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading. So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the ‘Candidate Essentials Guide’ that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how ‘we care for you as you care for others’. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you’ll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you