Senior Sister / Senior Charge Nurse

Work closely with the Matron and ADN to lead on elements of developing the neonatal service, in order to comply with the local, regional and national Neonatal care agenda. Provide a credible and dependable role model to the neonatal nursing team by delivering high quality family centred care to babies requiring all levels of care on the neonatal unit. Provide leadership to the nursing team and motivate. Delegate duties as safe and appropriate and empower staff to develop own nursing, management and leadership skills Line manage a defined nursing team ensuring timely constructive and worthwhile appraisal for all team members including recruitment, performance management and workforce planning. Supervise staff rostering, ensuring adequate skill mix and effective use of clinical hours available. Monitor and ensure the effective use of bank and agency staff Promote the development of nurses and support staff as considered appropriate. Implement, monitor and seek to continuously improve standards and the quality of care for babies. Promote evidence based practice Maintain a safe working environment for patients, staff and visitors. Ensure the effective management of clinical services and efficient redeployment of staff according to childrens service needs. Supervise and maintain accurate written and electronic records using the Trusts documentation systems and standards Ensure the safe use and efficient management of equipment and supplies. Polices high quality infection control practices, liaises with experts in the IPCC team and challenges poor practice in an appropriate, constructive and educational way. To maintain clinical competence and credibility, acting as a role model for best practice nursing ensuring that nursing care is provided to a high standard and is responsive to a changing service. Investigate and respond to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events in a timely manner. Ensure directives given to colleagues are clear and unambiguous. Provide emotional and professional support to staff following critical incidents Participate in the development and implementation of departmental policies, procedures and guidelines in order to establish goals and standards, ensuring these are met. Follows Trust policies and protocols and ensures junior colleague compliance. Participates in the education of junior colleagues and actively encourages access to ESR e learning. Ensures the unit adheres to strict Information Governance and Confidentiality procedures. Deliver a quality, evidence based service. Work with the Matron/Ward manager to deliver clinical and non-clinical performance standards. Be involved in, and an advocate for, the auditing of standards of care in order to foster an ever present drive on the unit to be the best NICU providing the best care. Ensure effective management of human and material resources. Identify cost improvement ideas that do not compromise the quality of care. Manage performance, sickness absence and staff grievances with support from Human Resources and Matron as required. Excellent record keeping essential. Ensure all nursing targets and key performance indicators that relate to the area of responsibility are delivered. Timely appraisal for self and team, and ensure mandatory training requirements for your defined team are up to date/complete. Governance Take note of clinical risk incidents and actively share the learning appropriately with all team members. Support the implementation of bench-marking against National guidance ie. NHS England peer review process, NICE guidance etc. Work with Infection Control /COSHH to monitor the environment to maintain and raise standards and maintain safety for all. Education, Research and Audit Actively promote an effective learning environment and ensure the delivery of education and mentorship of student nurses, medical colleagues and other health professionals Act as a professional resource for the neonatal service assisting with the development and provision of training programmes for staff to maintain competencies in all aspects of neonatal care. Work with research colleagues in contributing to wider practice evidence base through support of unit research activities