DIVISION OF MEDICINE, DIAGNOSTICS AND CLINICAL SUPPORT SERVICES

Job Description

JOB TITLE: Specialist Respiratory Nursing Team Leader

GRADE: Band 8a

LOCATION: James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,

community work and other sites/bases deemed necessary
for respiratory clinics

REPORTS TO: Senior Nurse /Matron

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Lead Nurse Division of Medicine Diagnostics and Clinical

Support Services

Behavioural Skills:

All roles within the Trust require staff to demonstrate our core values in the care they provide
to patients. All members of staff should consider these behaviours an essential part of their
job role.

 Courtesy and respect

- A welcoming and positive attitude
- Polite, friendly and interested in people
- Value and respect people as individuals

 Attentively kind and helpful

- Look out for dignity, privacy and humanity
- Be attentive, responsive and take time to help
- Visible presence of staff to provide the service

 Responsive communication
- Listen to people and answer their questions
- Keep people clearly informed
- Involve people

 Effective and professional

- Safe, knowledgeable and reassuring
- Effective care and services from joined up teams
- Organised and timely, looking to improve

Summary of Post

 To lead the delivery of safe, effective quality of care for the Specialist Respiratory Nursing
Team, working closely with senior staff including Senior Nurse/Matron, Divisional

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 Operations Director, Consultants and other service providers as required across Great
Yarmouth and Waveney including CCG and STP.

 To manage the operational service provided by the Respiratory Specialist Nursing Team
for patients across both primary and secondary care and to establish good working
relationships with other key members of the extended service area provision.

 To actively facilitate and support change in all areas linked with patient care and the
further development of the Specialist Respiratory Nursing Team.

 The team leader will be expected to provide a strong clinical and operational presence
within the speciality of respiratory nursing care and a dynamic focus.

 The team leader will be expected to provide a strong clinical and operational presence
within the speciality of palliative care and a dynamic focus for delivering care in the
JPUH.

 To proactively recognise and identify opportunities for service improvement.

Main duties and Responsibilities

Management

1. To undertake all management responsibilities in line with Team Leader role including
attendance at relevant Division of Medicine Therapeutics and Clinical Support/Trust and
system-wide meetings, handling complaints and adverse incident reporting.

2. To ensure fair and equitable distribution of workload.

3. To plan and undertake appraisal of nursing team which links to service need and ensure
links with individual development needs.

4. To ensure all relevant policies and standards associated with Respiratory Nursing Care
are maintained, relevant and currently related to both inpatient service requirements and
national guidance.

5. To ensure all new developments have relevant policies and action plans that are
presented to the Trust Clinical Skills Group or other relevant Trust groups.

6. To coordinate and ensure staff are receiving support via regular clinical supervision
sessions.

7. To lead the Respiratory Nursing Team, involving team members to review and develop
clinical practice and maintain clinical competencies.

8. To support the ongoing implementation of data collection and clinical record systems
working closely with all key members of staff to collect and collate relevant data.

9. To act as a role model for the expected standards of clinical/nursing care across the
range of respiratory care and associated interventions.

10. To actively participate in appropriate audit to assist in the measurement of the team’s
ability to provide services.

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11. To utilise a wide range of leadership styles and adapt these to meet the needs of any
given situation and to secure commitment, motivation and engagement of team
members.

12. Facilitate GAP analysis and action plans to resolve non-achievements of standards and
targets.

13. Maintains own professional and personal development in accordance with agreed
standards and professional guidelines.

14. Ensure adherence to practice standards and requirements is observed at all times.

15. Escalate any professional practice concerns to Senior/Lead Nurse in a timely manner.

Clinical Responsibilities

1. To ensure own and team’s adherence to evidence-based best practice and research
utilising review measures e.g. benchmarking with other Respiratory Nursing Services as
a way of comparison.

2. To support the respiratory nursing team in managing complex cases providing advice and
guidance.

3. To hold a small clinical caseload to maintain clinical competence and credibility.

4. To regularly attend relevant clinical network meetings as the service representative for
respiratory nursing and provide feedback as appropriate to respiratory team and other
stake holders.

5. To actively participate in, and assist Senior Nurse/Matron to monitor effectiveness of

respiratory governance meetings.

6. To ensure own written communication and that of team complies with all relevant legal
and professional requirements e.g. record keeping. (The Code 2008)

Service Development and Implementation

1. To lead change within the respiratory services with a particular focus on the nursing
team.

2. To represent the respiratory nursing team at meetings in primary and secondary care
particularly focusing on clinical care.

3. To establish and maintain effective communication systems within the team and across
associated networks.

4. To take into account all the key national, regional and local drivers affecting respiratory
care.

5. To develop a flexible team approach that can be responsive and adaptable to the
changing needs of service provision,

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6. Work collaboratively with Divisional Lead Nurses/ Matrons/ Senior Nurses to
support/implement required actions across the Trust.

Educational and Audit responsibilities

1. To be an educational resource for the respiratory nursing team, ward and outpatient
nursing and medical staff as well as community teams.

2. To undertake and facilitate audit as required at a national and local level.

3. To ensure any new research which is relevant to respiratory nursing care is reviewed and
discussed with the respiratory nursing team and changes in practice are made as
necessary and adapted to Trust and external agency requirements.

4. To take an active role in teaching both basic and post basic staff and to facilitate a good
learning environment.

Professional Issues

1. To lead the process of developing practice and monitoring performance against set
standards.

2. To manage and maintain a safe clinical environment.

3. To undertake appropriate extended roles and attend Enhanced Skills Programme.

4. To ensure that nursing practice is based on research.

5. To keep abreast of current trends and developments in professional matters.

6. To ensure that care delivered to patients is individualised and of the highest possible
standard.

7. To comply with the NMC/AHP Professional Code of Conduct and ensure the same of team
members.

Health and Safety Responsibilities

1. To ensure that the Trust’s Health and Safety Policies are understood and observed
and that procedures are followed.

2. To ensure the appropriate use of equipment and facilities and that the working
environment is maintained in good order.

3. To take the necessary precautions to safeguard the welfare and safety of yourself,
patients, visitors, and staff, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Including where appropriate lone working.

4. To undertake appropriate health and safety training to support safe working practice,
including where appropriate, its management.

5. To demonstrate a practical understanding of risk assessment in relation to areas of

responsibility and to ensure safe systems of work are in place.

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6. To ensure that all incidents occurring within the department are reported in accordance
with Trust procedures, investigated and corrective action taken as necessary and/or
reported to senior management and specialist advisers.

7. To ensure that Occupational Health advice is sought if employees identify health

conditions which may affect their ability to carry out their responsibilities safely.

8. To be responsible for ensuring that staff within area of responsibility attend statutory and
mandatory training.

Moving and Handling Responsibilities

1. To ensure that a safe system of work is in place for all moving and handling tasks within
area of responsibility which are risk assessed and control measures are identified and
implemented.

2. To be responsible for ensuring that all relevant documentation is regularly reviewed and
updated.

3. To observe and monitor the application of Moving and Handling skills of staff, within area
of responsibility, ensuring safe practice.

4. To be responsible for ensuring that staff within area of responsibility attend appropriate
manual handling training in accordance with the Moving & Handling assessed risks within
the work area.

Confidentiality

All staff are required to respect confidentiality of all matters that they learn as a result of their
employment with the NHS, including matters relating to other members of staff, patients and
members of the public.

Equality and Diversity

All employees are required to follow and implement the Trust's equal opportunities policy and
to undergo any training and development activities to ensure that they can carry out their
duties and responsibilities in terms of promoting, developing, implementing and reviewing the
policy arrangements in the course of their work.

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

All employees have a duty for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and
vulnerable adults. Staff must be aware of the Trust’s procedure for raising concerns about
the welfare of anyone with whom they have contact. Staff must also ensure they receive the
appropriate level of safeguarding children and vulnerable adult training depending on their
role in the Trust.

Infection Control

It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that they understand and follow the infection
control policies, procedures and best practice applicable within the Trust. In particular:
 Observe all infection control policies and practices relevant to the post.

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 Act as a role model to others regarding infection control best practice.
 Ensure that they keep up to date and attend all relevant training relating to infection
control issues applicable to their post.

 Ensure that patients, visitors and contractors are aware of and follow infection control
best practice (where applicable).

 Report non-compliance or concerns regarding infection control issues / best practice to

their line manager

Trust Values

To work in line with the Trust values and promote these within teams, departments and
divisions in the Trust.

Please note that this job description is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely a
guide to the responsibilities of the post holder. The post holder may be required to
undertake additional duties within the sphere of their competence and to meet the
changing needs of the service.

Dated: Oct 2019

Divisional
Operational
Director

Lead
Nurse

Senior
Nurse

Specialist Respiratory
Nursing Team Leader

Respiratory Nursing
Specialist Team