Position Description
Position Title: Nurse
Reports to: Team Leader Nursing
Service/Group: Prison Services
Location: Prisons
Date: October 2003
Purpose of Position
The Nurse is accountable to the Team Leader Nursing to provide prisoners with access to a normal range of health services, while targeting “at risk” inmates for special co-ordinated services, which contribute to the achievement of sentence management plans.
Key responsibilities are:
- Providing quality primary health care to prisoners, including assessment and treatment within the scope of nursing practice and contracted-in services and referral to appropriate agencies where necessary;
- Contributing to the development and implementation of management plans for the “health at risk” prisoners;
- Contributing to the development and implementation of prisoner management;
- Contributing to initiatives to enhance the healthcare provision within prisons; and
- Providing emergency treatment for prisoners and staff.
Functional Relationships
Internal: Regional Health Services Manager, Regional Clinical Quality Assurance Advisor, Team Leader Nursing, Regional Health team, Prison Managers / other Custody staff, Inmate Services Manager, Administration staff
External: Contracted Medical Officers, Contracted service providers, Forensic Mental Health Services, Department of Corrections Psychological Service, Community Alcohol and Drug Services, Health Providers in the Community, Health Advocacy agencies, Families/Whanau/Caregivers
Key Accountabilities
Prison Health Service Delivery
- Provide full range of primary nursing services including triage and primary mental health care as required under the Prison Health and Disability Support Service Specifications and PPM
- Utilise an holistic framework for assessment and delivery of nursing care
- Complete initial health screens and reception assessments within required timeframes
- Assess prisoners health needs comprehensively and accurately
- Develop and document prisoner treatment plans
- Provide a range of comprehensive assessment and clinical activities within the scope of practice
- Ensure health care is culturally safe
- Provides clinical on call service for custody and health staff in conjunction with other health staff and the Regional Health Services Manager
- Contribute to the development and implementation of prisoner sentence management, ensuring that significant health matters are integrated into individual plans
- Evaluate outcomes of health care delivered
- Validate and document decisions based on nursing knowledge and clinical experience
- Monitor, promulgate and promote “best practice” in the delivery of health services and the management of health services resources
- Build and maintain effective relationship with relevant external individuals and agencies, including external service providers, with a view to developing opportunities for enhancing Public Prisons Service Health Services
- Make appropriate referrals to other health team members and/or support personnel e.g. social workers, chaplain, psychologist, forensic mental health team
- Provide prisoners, and where appropriate custodial staff, with relevant and timely health information
- Ensure privacy and confidentiality are maintained according to the Privacy Act
- Provision of selected public health measures
- Advocate for prisoner health needs
- Deliver emergency care to prisoners and staff with work-related accidents/incidents
- Provide immunisation service as required
- Holds portfolio management responsibilities as required
Security
- Take appropriate security measures to protect themselves, the health centre and health equipment and supplies
- Wear personal alarm or radio while on duty
- Request custody support for potentially risky situations
- Challenge unsafe practice in an appropriate respectful manner
- Ensure infection control principles are maintained
- Administer medication in a safe manner as prescribed by a medical officer
- Document all medication delivered
- Check stock for expiry dates
- Keep emergency and routine equipment in good working order
- Report and document actual and potential risks or concerns
Administration
- Use resources in a cost-effective manner
- Contribute to initiatives which provide increased efficiencies
- Assist in formulating and reviewing standards, policies and procedures
- Participate in activities which monitor and/or audit delivery of prisoner care
- Accurate completion of all documentation and referrals for allocated prisoners
- Assists with the smooth functioning of the health centre, for example ordering supplies, stock control, faxing of prescriptions etc
Health Education and Promotion
- Provide education on health issues, formally and informally, to prisoners and staff in a culturally appropriate manner as required under Department policies and procedures and the Prison Health and Disability Support Service Specifications
- Assist in compiling resource material for educational purposes
- Network within and outside the prison service
- Act as a resource person for other health services staff
- Contribute to the orientation of new health services staff including nursing students
- Maintenance of immunisation and screening registers as appropriate and in accordance with Department policies and procedures and the Prison Health and Disability Support Service Specifications
Person Specification
Technical Competencies
- Qualified as a Nursing Council of New Zealand registered Nurse
- Deliver high quality nursing care
- Have proven clinical nursing skills. Some mental health and/or emergency department experience would be an advantage.
- Current vaccination certificate including Mantoux desirable
Core Competencies
Professionalism
- Work within the regulations of the Nursing Council of New Zealand
- Practices in accord to relevant legislation and NZ Health and Disability Strategies
- Ensure professional boundaries are maintained
- Recognise ethical dilemmas and discuss ethical principles
- Have a professional non-judgemental approach
- Be assertive, decisive and confident
- Able to work autonomously within local and national standards, policies and procedures
Communication
- Provide accurate and timely written and verbal communications
- Complete all health documentation
- Act in a non-judgemental manner towards prisoners and staff
- Foster effective interpersonal skills
- Attend meetings which affect prisoner outcomes and contribute to health centre functioning
- Action as necessary all requirements of internal/external correspondence
- Use counselling skills to support prisoner through crisis in a manner that is culturally appropriate
- Foster teamwork within the unit and institution by means of accurate and timely verbal and written communications with nursing staff, prison staff and other professionals and agencies
- Be able to communicate with different cultural groups
Relationship Management
- Influence others to gain commitment and support for views, actions and recommendations
- Encourage and support the achievement of team goals
- Act as a role model and lead by example
- Encourage others to accept personal responsibility and to use their initiative
- Develops and maintains networks with health providers
- Actively builds and maintain positive working relationships with prisoners, custody and other Department staff
Decision-making and Problem-solving
- Reach well reasoned decisions, supported by available information consistent with previous decisions, the views of others and Department policies and procedures and the Prison Health and Disability Support Service Specifications
- Utilise peers and other health team members for problem solving
- Accept responsibility for problem-solving and for developing workable solutions
- Make decisions in the absence of guidelines or rules
- Stand by decisions, whilst retaining flexibility
Commitment and Self-management
- Organises and prioritises own workload effectively
- Identify opportunities and accept responsibility for making things happen
- Maintain a balance between developmental and business as usual activities
- Accept responsibility for own development, seek feedback from others on own performance including feedback on cultural competency
- Formulate goals for ongoing knowledge base through self learning, professional journals, attending relevant internal and external education and training as required
Supporting organisational values
- Endorse, support and defend the Department’s goals and values
- Act fairly and impartially in all dealings with prisoners, staff and service providers
- Act with integrity at all times
- Proactively identify opportunities to improve service delivery
- Adjust to changing demands and requirements
- Promote EEO policy and incorporate EEO principles into work practice
- Work to ensure a safe physical and psychological environment
Cultural Responsiveness
- Acts fairly and impartially in all dealings with others
- Demonstrates an understanding and respect for Maori values and beliefs
- Demonstrates a desire to understanding, and respects Pacific peoples’ and other ethnic groups values and beliefs
- Demonstrates a commitment to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
- Demonstrate acceptable pronunciation of Te Reo
- Demonstrates a basic understanding of Tikanga Maori concepts and practice comprising of Karakia, Powhiri, Karanga, Mihimihi, Tangihana and Koha
- Demonstrate an ability to involve, and work with whanau in a culturally appropriate manner
- Endorse and support the Departments policy of providing a culturally responsive service to offenders, and initiatives that are designed to achieve this goal
Health and Safety
- Work towards ensuring a safe, secure and humane environment
- Identify unsafe situations and implement immediate action to maintain safety standards
- Be familiar with the hazards identified in the Hazard Register, take necessary precautions and follow required procedures
