Physical Health Nurse

Job summary

The Forensic Inpatient Service and phoenix ward provides short- and long-term hospital admissions to both male and female patients suffering from serious mental health problems such as psychotic illness, bipolar affective disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Each ward is staffed by a multidisciplinary team who are responsible for assessing, managing and reducing the risk to the person and community whilst in our care.

The Forensic Inpatient Service provides admission under the Mental Health Act within both low and medium level of security which is generally agreed with the referring team/court/Ministry of Justice.

The Forensic Inpatient Service works in collaboration with referring teams to help the person move back to an appropriate community setting as soon as possible.

• Halswell Ward is a 16 bedded medium secure ward.
• Ruby Ward is a 10 bedded female secure ward;
• Hume Ward, a 16 bedded low secure admission ward located in the main hospital.
• Oak Unit, an 12-bedded low secure incorporating male with mental illness and intellectual disability.
• Burntwood Villa - 15-bedded hub and spoke unit with the main 24 hours staffed (8 bed mixed gender Burntwood Villa) being the hub and the two step-down houses (Redwood and Fairways; 3 beds and 4 beds respectively) being spokes and not 24 hours staffed

Phoenix ward - 18-bed high dependency inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for providing physical health nursing assessments, care. education and treatment for adults with serious mental illness across several wards in a mental health hospital setting. You will be responsible for delivery of high-quality service and continuity of care by undertaking regular health checks of adults with serious mental illness receiving treatment from the services. The role also involves supporting and promoting physical wellbeing and educating service users, carers and colleagues. The post holder will rollout education for all disciplines of staff working with patients in the pathway with a comprehensive focus of the physical health treatment and prevention. The post holder should demonstrate an awareness of local and national nursing agendas.

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Unless expressly stated in the job advert the role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK

Job responsibilities

To liaise with team mangers to understand service users who require advanced physical health supports and identify and document relevant care plan.

Development of policies, procedures, protocols, and guidelines for treatment of patients at risk in a forensic environment.

To plan, implement and evaluate interventions delivered in each team, and participating in multidisciplinary care plans

To carry out compulsory Bi-Annual health checks, and work as part of the Forensic services multi-disciplinary team to promote a high standard of physical healthcare and wellbeing.

To undertake audit as required related to any aspects of physical health related clinical practice, such as NEWS charts, VTE assessments,

To provide and undertake detailed physical health investigations such as ECGs and offer basic interpretation of the results.

To undertake venepuncture procedures as required for routine blood samples directed by ACPs and GPs.

To support GPs and Primary Care Mental Health staff in completing full and comprehensive physical health assessments for adults with SMI and on SMI register.

To complete person-centred care planning for service users requiring physical health related aspects of care with the support of the MDT

To provide advice on smoking cessation and support the teams in managing adults with SMI who are temporarily abstaining from smoking during acute care pathway.

To provide physical health promotion, deliver healthy living initiatives and support service users though providing education such as healthy lifestyle choices, sexual health and physical activity.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications

If you have used AI to support the preparation of your application, please briefly indicate how it was used within your supporting statement or application form.

Please remember, your application is your opportunity to tell us about your skills, experience and motivation for the role. We encourage applicants to complete their application and supporting statement in their own words wherever possible. We recognise that AI tools can be helpful in supporting accessibility, and for improving spelling, grammar and structure.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content can become generic and fail to accurately reflect an applicant's individual experience. Applications that clearly demonstrate your own voice, reflections and experiences are often the most effective and help us better understand your suitability for the role.

Please be aware that information provided in your application and supporting statement may be explored further during the selection process. It is important that all applications accurately represent your own knowledge, skills and experience.

Person specification

Training & Qualification

Essential

• A First Level registered general nurse with current registration on the relevant section of the Nursing Registration
• Dip. He or RGN
• Teaching experience/qualification
• Venepuncture trained.

Desirable

• Experience within a general medical/surgical setting or GP practice
• Level 2 accredited stop smoking advisor

Experience

Essential

• Experience and knowledge in the management of long-term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
• Experience of assessing and managing physical health crisis with those with a severe mental illness or enduring physical health issues
• Experience of managing and supervising other staff

Desirable

• Delivery of patient care to reflect and refer to Evidence Based Practice.
• Experience of contributing to policy and procedure development and implementation

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• An awareness and knowledge base of service provided by the Primary Care Mental Health Service for severe, enduring mental illness.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to assess clinical situations quickly and use initiative
• Good time management skills and ability to prioritise

Desirable

• Delivery of CQUIN
• Research and audit skills