Job description
Are you looking to be a part of an exciting new model of care? If so, we have a fantastic opportunity for Frailty Specialist Nurse to bring their expertise and knowledge to assist in the development, implementation, and ongoing delivery of clinical care as part of the Integrated Virtual Ward Clinical Team. The role involves working very closely with the Acute FrailtyTeam and Virtual Ward multidisciplinary team (MDT) and is a pivotal role in ensuring all patients within the Virtual Ward receive the best possible care and service.
We are seeking to appoint 1 full-time Specialist Nurse with experience in the field of frailty to join our wonderful team based at Royal Preston Hospital. The role will support the growth of the current frailty services and the roll out of the new Frailty Virtual Ward. We have a multidisciplinary approach to providing care to our frail patients which includes Consultant Geriatricians, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Community Frailty Nurses, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians , Assistant Practitioners and HCA's in the community along with Frailty Specialist Nurses and an integrated therapy team based within the acute setting.
Do you have a passion for frailty and in providing acute adult care, to work within our Acute Frailty Team. A key part of this role will be providing Comprehensive Geriatric assessment to patients on the Virtual Frailty Ward, working alongside our MDT.
The purpose of the virtual ward is to provide hospital level care to patients in their own home. The role will also involve some in reach into the Emergency Department, providing specialist frailty assessment, treatment & discharge management of frail patients with in reach into our 10 bedded Acute Frailty Unit (including a rapid access assessment bed for ambulance services).
You’ll contribute to the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment & management of our patients , working closely with our multidisciplinary team. We also operate a Post Discharge Frailty Support Service which offers nurse led telephone follow up to prevent re-admission/re-attendance. We also support our Geriatricians in our Frailty Hot Clinics. . So as you can see, there’s lots to do & get involved in and no 2 days are ever the same. You will work as part of a Frailty Specialist Nursing team and gain experience working in each of the frailty services we provide.
We have 10000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.
Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.
You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.
You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.
Our aim is to provide frail patients with high quality evidence-based assessment and management. The team deliver assessment of frailty syndromes and completion of a defined geriatric assessment.
- Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions / readmissions
- Minimise length of stay
- Identify risk and reduce barriers to safe discharge
- Provide a comprehensive geriatric assessment
- Ensure proactive and early case management of frail patients with complex needs
- Support the delivery of multidisciplinary care and treatment for frail elderly patients across the emergency care pathway
- Signpost the patient to relevant community and hospital based services including rapid access clinics.
- Contribute to the assessment and care of patients in a community & clinic setting through collaborative working.
We have also established a step down service called Post Discharge Frailty Support Service for patients who have had a timely discharge from hospital. You will be required to make telephone calls to patients on our case load and assess how they are managing at home since discharge. Following the phone calls you may need to complete referrals to community services, other Health Care Professionals or discuss cases with the Geriatricians and relay management plans back to the patient’s GP. The aim of the service is to keep the patient’s safe at home and avoid any unnecessary re-admission to hospital.
The post holder will rotate through all our frailty services to gain maximum experience and knowledge.