The NMC plays an important role in safeguarding the public by regulating the work of nurses and all nurses, including Band 5 nurses, are expected to register with the NMC each year and adhere to the NMC Code of Conduct.

Clinical Outcomes

Band 5 nurses contribute to the effectiveness of services by:

• Providing skilled, evidence-based nursing care which adheres to agreed policies and procedures
• Working with patients and families in all stages of the care planning process including assessing risks and needs
• Acting as patient advocates in the multi-disciplinary team and overseeing the work of others to ensure that they are also responding to the needs of patients and providing clinically effective care
• Working as autonomous practitioners and taking responsibility for the care they give to patients but within their own limits of competency and confidence
• Contributing to creating and maintaining high performing teams by communicating well with all members of the team, understanding their role in the team and how they help the team achieve its objectives, reflecting on their own practice regularly and encouraging the whole team to reflect on their practices in handovers and team meetings, and identifying how care could be improved

Patient Experience

Band 5 nurses contribute to the people using our services feeling respected and empowered to make decisions about their health and wellbeing by:

• Working in partnership with patients and their families and carers
• Gaining consent and, as far as possible, involving people in all decision making
• Signposting patients and carers to supportive services e.g. the courses provided by the Recovery and Wellbeing College or services provided by the local authority or the voluntary sector
• Reassurring people by being professional, responsive, knowledgeable and confident
• Responding to complaints or concerns effectively and quickly in line with the Trust policy

Supporting yourself and others

Engaged staff are more productive and Band 5 nurses play a role in engaging in other staff members in the Trust and the work we do by:

• Providing supervision and annual appraisals to other staff which helps those staff reflect on their work, understand their objectives and monitors their progress towards achieving them
• Participating constructively in their own supervision and annual appraisal processes
• Using continuing professional development funds to consolidate or improve clinical skills and to gain mentorship skills so they can support student nurses

Please note: This role requires successful candidates to be able to engage in Physical intervention training, including the use of force techniques. Ability to complete immediate life support.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

Essential criteria

• Registered Mental Health Nurse OR Student Nurse (MH) due to qualify within 3months
• Numeracy skills required for the safe administration of medicines

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of relevant Continuous Professional Development
• Mentorship Training
• Other training relevant to work with mothers and babies
• Physical intervention/Breakaway techniques

Skills and Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Communication: Able to communicate with the multi-disciplinary team, present cases, take note of actions, update others in the team and use handover effectively. Speaking face to face but also by telephone and writing letters and reports.
• Maintaining accurate, timely, concise and legible clinical records both electronic and handwritten which adhere to the CNWL policies
• Able to talk to people about sensitive issues in a supportive manner but also challenge others assertively where necessary
• IT Skills: Able to maintain electronic patient records. Use Microsoft Word for letter and report writing
• You are expected to have the skills required to act as a professional, registered nurse and adhere to the NMC Code of Conduct.
• Care planning: being able to assess patients, develop, implement and evaluate a care plan
• Empowering and working in partnership
• Safeguarding and advocacy
• Understanding how the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards impacts on their work and the people they are working with
• Understanding how the Mental Health Act impacts on their work and the people they are working with
• Understanding the concept of quality and their role in improving safety, clinical outcomes and the patient experience
• Infection control and Asceptic Non Touch Technique
• Manual Handling patients
• Obtaining Consent
• Medicines management and administration
• Work well with other members of the team including communicating effectively, being kind and considerate, reliable and enthusiastic.
• Help others in the team achieve their objectives and deliver safe, effective care
• Mentor, teach and support others in the team
• Contribute to the culture of the team and play a role in making it inclusive and hardworking
• Supervise others in the team

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of Child Protection legislation
• Skills in report writing

Previous experience

Essential criteria

• You need previous experience of working in Acute Adult Mental Health Services or Perinatal Mental Health Services either as a band 5 nurse, a student nurse or a health care assistant

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working with mothers and babies and group work
• Experience of supervision
• Experience of mentoring students or junior staff

Attitudes, Aptitudes and personal characteristics

Essential criteria

• Able and willing to work in partnership with service users, their friends and family as well as other health care professionals
• Be a role model and embody CNWL’s values by being caring for the people who use our services, their families and carers, and other staff, Respectful of others and genuinely treating them how you would want to be treated, Able and willing to work with service users, family and carers, and other staff in a way which empowers and supports others and makes them feel better about themselves