JOB PURPOSE
1. Provide clinical nursing care, advice and support to clients.
2. Be responsible for the care management and care delivery of patients with substance dependency in a Nurse & Recovery Support Worker team.
3. Liaise and communicate with multi-agency staff.
DIMENSIONS
The Specialist Addictions Nurse is a clinician in their own right, accountable to the Clinical Lead, and to the Clinical Partners.
You will ensure your nursing practice is in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and Mental Health Legislation, which incorporates and respects differences in gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, culture and disability.
You will support the co-ordination of the activities of the clinical team to ensure optimal patient care and services.
You are encouraged to take responsibility for ensuring your professional standards and competencies are maintained.
KEY RESULT AREAS
· To carry out assessments of patients who are requesting help with substance misuse and draw up a plan of management of their care
· To establish individual need, discussing all treatment options (including non- pharmacological treatment and in-patient detoxification where indicated) and potential side effect and overdose risks with each service user
· To respond to identified needs as required through treatment, intervention and/or onward referral
· To provide full information on the benefits and risks of medically assisted recovery treatment options
· To ensure high standards of clinical practice in accordance with all relevant national and local guidelines
· To collaboratively develop and implement effective and flexible clinical systems and structures that are responsive to individuals with different levels of risk, complexity, severity and strengths, in order to ensure that treatment is optimised
· To work with Substance Misuse / Recovery Support Workers to ensure that appropriate wrap-around and post-detoxification support is available to all clients
· To fully inform service users about their recovery / treatment options, involve them in decisions and consent, and encourage them to take opportunities to achieve a sustained recovery
· To support ‘visible recovery’ within the service, promoting exit from treatment to service users at all stages of the recovery pathway working with dedicated recovery individuals
· To ensure individuals' personal strengths / recovery capital, including social capital and networks, continue to be built during the clinical phase
· To assess and treat appropriate physical and mental health conditions or refer to GP or specialist
· To assess patients with common illnesses and either provide treatment according to practice protocols, or make recommendations to the GP about treatment