CNM3 Acute Admissions Surgical Directorate

Position Summary:

The Acute Assessment Unit (AAU) provides rapid assessment, diagnostics, and treatment for patients with acute medical and surgical needs. Its purpose is to enhance patient flow, reduce congestion in the Emergency Department (ED), and minimise unnecessary inpatient admissions.
The CNM3 will oversee and coordinate patient flow across the Emergency Department, the Acute Assessment Unit, and, when required, transitions to inpatient wards. They will ensure safe, efficient, and patient-centred care within an expected 72-hour length of stay.

The CNM3 will provide strong clinical and professional leadership within the designated area(s), managing resources effectively, including staffing, skill mix, and staff development. As a key leader within the service, the CNM3 will play a central role in communication, service planning and development, and the coordination of activity and resources.

Core responsibilities include maintaining high standards of nursing care, developing and implementing policies and procedures, monitoring activity levels, and ensuring delivery of agreed service standards. The CNM3 will champion organisational values and support a culture of excellence in clinical practice.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

A. Operational Management:
i. To promote quality of service delivery, ensuring effective patient care, research, training and development within the Directorate.
ii. To promote the development and maintenance of high standards of care and that the care offered is family centred, sensitive and responsive to service users.
iii. The CNM III will actively participate in service development initiatives within the directorate and work with the directorate management team to plan at a strategic and local level. Core elements of this process will involve:

· Planning the delivery of services by accurately estimating the needs of the Directorate and prioritising resources appropriately.
· Assist in the development of short, mid and long term strategic plans for the Directorate.
· Maintain smooth running of the Directorate to incorporate service planning for routine and emergency operational needs.
· Promote the effective and efficient delivery of services to patients and hospital staff.
· Continuously monitor and improve upon the services delivered.
· Monitor service objectives, to ensure that the quality of the service is congruent with the resources available.

iv. To ensure effective working practices with other Directorates and the hospital departments and healthcare agencies to maximise the delivery of a seamless service.

B. General Management:
I. Assists the Directorate Nurse Manager in providing team leadership and management in the maintenance and development of a high quality nursing service in the AAU & Surgical Directorate, liaising appropriately with the Emergency Department, Consultants, Clinical Nurse Managers, Patient Flow, Staff Nurses, multi-disciplinary team and other hospital staff.
II. Acts to ensure that problems are identified and resolved.
III. Alerts the Directorate Nurse Manager and Consultant colleagues of impending issues within the Department.

C. Bed Management and Discharge Planning:
The CNMIII will lead, with the support of the Directorate Nurse Manager, in ensuring effective co-ordination of bed and discharge management within the AAU, in line with the 72 hours LOS objective. This involves:
I. Ensuring that staff implement the admission and discharge planning procedures for patients in consultation with Medical/Surgical teams and bed management, where necessary.
II. Regular timely reporting of bed and resource utilisation to the Directorate Nurse Manager, Directorate Management Team and Hospital Management as appropriate.
III. Monitoring admission and discharge trends, optimising use and cost effective management of resources and highlighting trends and wider implications of acute and non-acute services.

D. Service Planning:
I. To contribute to the co-ordination and planning of nursing services to meet service demands and to support initiatives to meet changes in service provision.
II. To assist with the development of business cases for the improvement, modernisation and development of nursing/clinical services.
III. To contribute to projects/initiative which improve the quality of services provided to patients and/or improve the patient flow through the hospital.

E. HR Management:
I. Support the Clinical Nurse Manager in managing all nursing and healthcare staff within the unit, complying with hospital HR policies and procedures.
II. Ensure that nursing and healthcare assistant staff receive performance appraisals annually and in conjunction with the Clinical Nurse Managers put a plan in place for staff to complete their mandatory training. Facilitate nursing staff and healthcare assistants to continue their education and personal development to support improved organisational performance.
III. In conjunction with the Directorate Nurse Manager and Clinical Nurse Managers regularly review staff complements and skill-mix across the Directorate/unit to ensure that staffing is appropriate for current and projected clinical and operational demands.
IV. Supports Clinical Nurse Managers to ensure maintenance of a high level of staff morale, promoting good communications, team spirit and job satisfaction among nursing, multidisciplinary and support staff within the Unit & Surgical Directorate.
V. To work with the Clinical Nurse Managers in managing absenteeism in accordance with hospital policy.
VI. Advise the Directorate Nurse Manager when staffing levels fall below or in excess of that considered to be adequate to meet variations of workload.
VII. Decides when to utilise agency or locum staff within the parameters of hospital policy in co-operation with the DNM/DDON. Monitor the spend in relation to the nursing budget.
VIII. Partake in the interviewing process for the recruitment of nursing and healthcare staff for the Directorate and ensure effective local induction takes place. Ensure all new staff attend the Corporate Induction Programme. Participate in Directorate wide recruitment as appropriate.

F. Quality Assurance and Risk Management:
I. Encourage and support a culture of continuous improvement and mutual cooperation in the achievement of the highest possible standards of clinical care and maximum efficiency.
II. Work with the Directorate Management Team, stakeholders and colleagues to develop clinical governance systems within the Directorate which ensure that all relevant HIQA and international standards are met.
III. With the Directorate Management Team ensure that effective leadership and effective systems are in place for the routine evaluation of infection control data, compliance with hygiene audits and the hospital’s infection control policies and procedures.
IV. To identify health and safety issues for staff and patients.
V. To participate in local risk management initiatives to monitor clinical and non-clinical issues with the Directorate, i.e. Health & Safety, Infection Prevention and Control, Occupational health, Fire Safety, environmental and organisational risks.
VI. Support Clinical Nurse Managers in managing adverse incidents involving nursing care within the Directorate ensuring they are investigated promptly, respecting confidentiality taking preventative action where necessary.
VII. Ensure regular audit of nursing practices and procedures in conjunction with Nurse Practice Development.

G. Professional Practice:
I. Ensures that the requirements of Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland for the practice of professional nursing are met and upheld.
II. Establishes and maintains a high standard of nursing practice within the Unit & Surgical Directorate.
III. Ensures that nursing care is delivered within the parameters of the Department of Nursing and Hospital Policies and Procedures.
IV. Provides advice to the Directorate Nurse Manager in all matters relating to the care of patients within the Unit.
V. Directs nursing and non-nursing staff in the event of any emergency situation within the Hospital and in any disaster that involves the Hospital.

H. Education/Staff Development:
I. Ensures access for all newly appointed nurses to the hospital induction programme.
II. Assesses and identifies training needs of CNMs, setting objectives for such learning and making recommendations to the Directorate Nurse Manager on how these needs can be facilitated.
III. Ensures compliance with mandatory training.

I. Self-Development:
I. Reads current literature and recent nursing research, attends seminars and is aware of any new developments in nursing practice and in current and future trends in the Directorate.
II. Attends and participates in staff development programmes.
III. Discuss present performance and future needs with the Directorate Nurse Manager.

J. Cost Control and Budgeting:
I. Advise Directorate Nurse Manager on alternative supplies and changes in practice that impacts on costs.
II. Advises the Directorate Nurse Manager regarding the developments and changes that impact on the work of nurses in the Department in order that adequate resources (staff, equipment, supplies, cleaning and other support services) are negotiated.

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

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 full time (or an aggregate of 5 years post
registration full time) experience of which 2 years (or an aggregate of 2 years post
registration full time experience) 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

• A relevant post-graduate qualification.
• Management course

Skills & Ability:
• Previous management experience
• Ability to plan, review & adapt the service
• Involvement of quality improvement initiatives & audit. Effective time management skills to deliver on all requirements of the job specification
• Demonstrate good motivational/counselling skills
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Good presentation skills
• Basic computer skills
• Encourages consultation and collaboration across disciplines

Personal Attributes:
• Confident
• Self-motivated, reliable and able to work independently
• Active advocate of the patient
• Flexible, adaptable and creative
• Able to reflect and appraise own performance
• Able to maintain effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders

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