CNM 2 Hepatology

Position Summary

• The CNM/CNS in Hepatology is responsible for the provision of a quality driven service for patients with hepatological conditions.
• The CNM/CNS will have responsibility for the provision of specialist care to this patient cohort.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and implement nursing care, ensuring the highest quality of standards are maintained.
• Work in conjunction with/under the supervision of the Consultant Hepatologist, ANP / cANP in the management of patients with hepatological conditions.
• Participate in Hepatology OPD Clinics.
• Set up and manage nurse led Hepatology OPD clinics.
• Management of Fibroscan clinics.
• Management of admissions for day case procedures.
• Maintain accurate patient documentation, ensure data storage and collection complies with legislative and best practice standards.
• Co-manage a caseload of patients attending the Hepatology unit.
• Work as a key member of the MDT, providing physical, psychological and emotional support to these patients and their families.
• Be a patient/staff advocate at a professional level.
• Undertake practice sensitive to the needs of patients, carers and relatives from multicultural backgrounds.
• Ward-based role - involves reviewing and advising individualised care needs for hepatology patients.
• OPD role – act as a liaison between outpatients, the hepatology team and wider MDT.
• Develop and maintaining protocols for the Hepatology unit.

• Develop and maintain effective communication between the Hepatology unit and primary care settings.
• Provide advanced clinical and specialist Hepatology skills and knowledge to colleagues.
• Plan systems of nursing activity, which satisfy agreed care standards at Clinic, Hospital and National levels.
• Manage care within the context of change.
• Demonstrate competency and confidence in leading change within the Hepatology Service.

Education Role:
• Plan, co-ordinate and initiate structured and educational opportunities to facilitate staff development and patient education in relation to the immediate and on-going management of patients with specific hepatological conditions.
• Evaluate educational needs of ward staff in conjunction with Ward Manager cANP/ANP/Consultant Hepatologist
• Act as health educator to patients and carers/family members.
• Give lectures and teaching sessions as appropriate.
• Attend mandatory training and comply with educational requirements.
• Take responsibility for own professional development.
• Attend relevant seminars/conferences and study days to maintain up to date expert Hepatology knowledge.
• Liaise with other colleagues in local and national forums to influence and improve hepatology care.

Audit and Research:
• Conduct and participate nursing research and clinical audits to improve standards of care.
• Identify and evaluate opportunities for nursing research, which would contribute to the development and improvement of services.
• Ensure the provision of informed evidence-based practice in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient values.
• Maintain effective and accurate patient records with regular evaluation.
• Provide the relevant departments/agencies with accurate statistics.

Liaison Role:
• Connects patients, families and healthcare providers across different care settings.
• Act as patient advocate.
• Support patients and their families ensuring their values and decisions are communicated and respected.
• Have well developed communication skills to co-ordinate with different services and provisions.
• Play a key role in managing care pathways, and transitions between different care settings.

Administrative Role:
• Ensuring confidentiality and accuracy in patient records and relevant data.
• Maintain compliance with hygiene standards, guidelines and safety procedures.
• Investigate and manage complaints appropriately.
• Be responsible for the economical ordering of unit stock.
• Investigate incidents and accidents involving patients, staff and relatives and report these to the directorate nurse manager.
• Ensuring guidelines regarding the care for Hepatology patients are maintained and adhered to.
• Ensure correct completion of all patient and unit documentation and records.

The job description indicates the main functions and responsibilities of the post and is subject to review and amendment. Other specific work not covered in this job description may also be assigned by the Director of Nursing from time to time.

Selection Criteria:
Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.
Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory:

1. Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc
(a) Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:
(i) Are registered in the relevant division of the Register of Nurses & Midwives
maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland [NMBI] (Bord
Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann) or entitled to be so registered.

(ii) Have at least 5 years post registration experience (or an aggregrate of 5 years
fulltime post registration experience) of which 2 years must be in the speciality
or related area.

(iii) Have the clinical, managerial and administrative capacity to properly discharge
the functions of the role.

(iv) Candidates must demonstrate evidence of continuous professional development.

(b) Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability including a high standard of
suitability and clinical, managerial and administrative capacity to properly discharge the
functions of the role.

2. Annual registration
(i) On appointment, practitioners must maintain live annual registration on the relevant
division of the Register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing and
Midwifery Board of Ireland (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann).

(ii) Confirm annual registration with NMBI to the HSE by way of the annual Patient
Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

3. Health
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of
undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a
reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

4. Character
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Desirable

• To have a post registration course in the field of hepatology and/or Gastroenterology
• Nurse Medicinal Product Prescribing and Prescribing of Medical Ionising Radiation are not strictly essential but desirable if relevant to the role and should be considered at this level of Nursing
• A management course

If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/ Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012.

Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/ Office/ Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position