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Nursing
Nurses are an intrinsic part of the multi-disciplinary team, and key contributors to the health wellbeing of patients in our
care.
We have over 800 nurses working in all the directorates, caring for patients (children and adults) with heart and lung disease
at the various stages of their illness. Most work in one of our hospitals, however a few provide care in the home and
community. As well as Senior Nurses/Modern Matrons, Sisters/Charge Nurses and Staff Nurses we have a variety of
specialist posts in for example Cystic Fibrosis and Heart Failure, and Nurse Consultants in Critical Care, Cardiology, Cystic
Fibrosis and Transplantation.
Many of the nurses in this Trust have specialist qualifications in the heart and lung field and we support education and
training of nurses at all levels, from newly registered to very experienced.
Our Nursing programme covers the following areas:
Developing roles and improving patient care
By way of example we have published competencies for all nurses which support the introduction of the Knowledge and
Skills Framework (KSF). New ways of working are being introduced for example the peri-operative specialist nurses and
student nurses from Thames Valley University (TVU) and Buckinghamshire Chiltern University College (BCUC) gain clinical
experience in the wards and critical care units.
Patient safety and risk management
There are many aspects to ensuring we prevent errors and learn from them, with the aim of reducing mistakes to the bare
minimum to make sure that patients are safe in our care. Indeed the safety and wellbeing of patients is at the heart of all
clinical care and governance and a lot of work is being done to improve this including for example drug administration,
preparing patients for discharge and preventing infection.
Leadership
We have run the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Leadership programme for five years and also have Staff Nurse
Development programmes and a Rotation programme for newly qualified nurses. Where appropriate we link with other
leadership initiatives for the benefit of staff.
Benchmarking
In this regard our work focus is on three main areas, namely, nurse staffing levels, Essence of Care benchmarks such as
tissue viability, privacy and dignity and record keeping, and nursing sensitive indicators such as patient falls and pressure
sores. Where data is available we compare our results to those of other Trusts.
This guide
In this guide we have out lined the main departments that nurses work in. it is there to give you an idea of the kind of work
carried out.
If you would like to know more about the hospital and it departments then please look on the website www.rbht.nhs.uk or
email:
Rikke Serup [email protected] (Nurse Careers Advisor)
For our current vacancies and to apply on line go to www.jobs.nhs.uk or email:
Steve Caddick
Katarina Kovacova
Sue Magowan
[email protected]
(Nurse Recruitment Coordinator, Brompton site)
[email protected] (Nurse Recruitment Coordinator, Brompton site)
[email protected] (Senior Nurse Recruitment Coordinator, Harefield site)
Intensive Care
Adult intensive care unit - Royal Brompton Hospital
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Surjeet Kaur
Location:
Level 3, Sydney Street, South Kensington
Overview
The Adult Intensive Care Unit (AICU) has 20 beds and cares for patients following cardiac and major thoracic surgery. In
addition we care for patients who have severe medical cardiac conditions and who may require optimisation prior to surgery,
intra-aortic balloon pumping or management of ventricular assist devices (VAD). Patients with extensive respiratory problems
are also provided with specialist ventilatory support. Patients who develop renal failure are managed effectively by the
administration of haemofiltration.
The patient dependency and nursing interventions required are evaluated regularly and the nurse patient ratio is based
on 1:1 care. This may be adjusted after careful evaluation and where the patient’s stability allows for a 2:1 ratio.
All new staff, irrespective of grading band and experience are provided with a well-established induction and mentor
programme. Competencies and role developments are achieved by in-house training and assessment. Nurses are
encouraged and developed and progress at their own pace, whilst ensuring that they contribute to service developments.
A variety of shift patterns are worked, but flexible working arrangements are available to suit both staff and service needs.
Good staff morale in such a busy and specialised area is extremely important. We believe it is the collective responsibility of
all staff to ensure the maintenance of high morale to provide an environment conducive to high standards of care by
professional, motivated staff.
In addition to the AICU there is a separate four-bedded post-operative recovery unit that is fully functioning from Monday to
Friday. This facility is managed by the AICU Modern Matron and therefore enables seamless care between the AICU,
theatres and the ward areas.
Intensive care unit - Harefield Hospital
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Peter Doyle
Location:
Ground Floor, Harefield Hospital,
Overview
The Adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has 18 beds and admits patients following cardiac and thoracic surgery together with
those who are waiting for, or have undergone, cardio-pulmonary transplantation. It also caters for patients requiring
interventions such as intra-aortic balloon pumping, ventricular assist therapy, nitric oxide, and renal replacement therapy.
We specialise in the care of cardio-respiratory patients with critical care needs. These include pre and post-operative
cardiothoracic patients including those on our transplant programme. Our unit is one of Europe’s leading centres for
transplantation and Ventricular Assist Device therapy. All our nursing staff are given the opportunity to develop skills in
critical care interventions such as advanced modes of ventilation, haemofiltration, intra-aortic balloon pumping, cardiac
pacing, cardiac output monitoring, ECMO, and nitric oxide administration.
You will experience a relaxed, friendly and professional working environment. With the guidance of our Practice Education
you will be supported and encouraged to enhance your professional development. This is achieved through high levels of
bed-side support as well as more formal classroom based education programmes. Access to relevant University based
courses is supported financially and with study leave.
Cardiology
Cardiology - Royal Brompton Hospital
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Sue Cox
Location:
Level 3 and 5, Sydney Street, South Kensington, London
Overview
The Cardiology department comprises two wards, Paul Wood and York Gallery and four Cardiac Catheterisation Suites. The
department deals with all aspects of cardiology patients, elective through to emergency care and has a 4 bedded High
Dependency Unit within its bed compliment. Our department caters for patients with Ischaemic heart disease, Electrical heart
disease, a large congenital heart disease unit, and advanced heart failure.
The cardiology directorate is well supported by specialist nurses providing on-going education and guidance. As we are a
tertiary referral centre, you’ll have the opportunity to be involved in the care of patients undergoing treatments at the
forefront of advancements in the management of cardiology patients.
Cardiology – Harefield Hospital
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Carol Gadd
Location:
MCU Unit
Overview
The Medical Care Unit is a busy cardiology ward. We specialise in caring for patients who require cardiac investigations &
interventions such as angioplasties, PFO closures, pacemakers & internal cardiac defibrillators. We also care for patients who
have heart failure & manage these with medical therapy or if necessary an intra aortic balloon pump will be used as a
mechanical means of support.
The Medical Care Unit can provide invasive cardiac monitoring & has a well-established Primary Angioplasty service,
providing a wealth of learning opportunities for new staff.
Although the Medical Care Unit is a busy area we feel that we are a friendly & supportive team. The majority of our senior
staff have specialised courses within the cardiology field. We have a team of Practice Educators who provide regular teaching
sessions & work closely with all members of staff.
We pride ourselves on the high standard of holistic care we provide to our patients & we strive to ensure the care we give is
evidence based by encouraging staff to attend relevant courses & study days.
Paediatrics
Paediatrics - Royal Brompton hospital
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Location:
Sue Petersen
Level 4, Sydney Street, South Kensington, London
Overview
The department has:
10 bedded Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) (4 bed bays and 4 single cubicles) where beds are used flexibly to
accommodate PICU and PHDU patients so the numbers of patients vary.
Rose ward - a 24 bed ward area (six bed bays and single cubicles), 4 bed Paediatric High Dependency (PHDU) area, 5 bed
day care unit.
A dedicated paediatric out patient department.
These areas accommodate patients requiring investigations and treatments of a wide variety of cardiothoracic and
respiratory conditions.
Staffing
The Directorate is led by the Senior Nurse for Critical Care, supported by a Senior Nurse for Paediatrics and two
paediatric ward managers. This senior team, in conjunction with the clinical educators, provides the nursing team with
continuous clinical support and advice. Although both units employ a large proportion of children's trained nurses, staff
without this qualification are welcome and supported by in-service training which is provided by Clinical Educators. Well
established induction and mentorship programmes ensure that all staff, irrespective of their previous clinical experience, are
well supervised while they become competent in their new role and achieve their initial objectives.
The directorate provides an environment that encourages education and research and professional and personal growth.
Assistance with funding and study leave is given to enable staff to develop and consolidate their professional skills. Cardiac,
respiratory, high dependency and intensive care nursing modules are all available from local universities. Conversion to
Registered Children's Nurses, supervised practice and return to nursing courses are easily accessible and supported within
the directorate
Our service to patients
Being a tertiary referral centre our dedicated team of highly skilled professionals provide a holistic service to the children and
their families. Utilising the very latest technology and therapies the directorate team is innovative, providing highly technical
and ‘state of art’ treatment but in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. To ensure this the directorate operates within a
framework of family centred care, where parents are actively encouraged to be resident within the hospital so they can be
involved in their child’s care. Family accommodation is provided either within the ward area or in nearby dedicated self
contained accommodation.
Our hospitals
Harefield hospital has a newly developed paediatric out patient department which, along with the out patient department at
Royal Brompton provides optimisation of medical management for children with congenital and acquired cardiac
disease before and after surgical management of congenital cardiac defects. Staff in both parts of the unit have extensive
knowledge and experience in fetal cardiology and provide support and advice for families when an antenatal diagnosis of a
congenital cardiac defect has been made. Transitional care is given to children prior to their sixteenth birthday when their
care is transferred to an adult cardiologist/respirologist.
Career development
Leave and financial support are also available for national and international conferences as well as study days in order to
enable nurses to maintain their registration in accordance with the NMC's continuing professional development guidelines.
The Trust acknowledges that individual skills are required to nurse within these specialised areas and recognises this.
Respiratory Medicine
Respiratory medicine
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Lorraine Campbell
Location:
Foulis, Lind & Victoria Ward, Fulham Road Wing,
South Kensington, London
Overview
Respiratory Medicine is located in South Block on the Fulham Road Wing of the Royal Brompton Site. The directorate has a
worldwide reputation not only for its clinical and academic achievements, but more so for its friendly atmosphere.
We are committed to providing the highest quality of care to patients, suffering from all forms of lung disease using the most
up to date equipment and purpose built facilities housed within the fabulous architecture of the Victorian era.
The speciality is both wide and diverse and provides excellent opportunities for individualised career development. We
provide a focus for the nursing care of patients using clinically based research practice. Our areas of expertise cover:
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Infection
Cystic Fibrosis
Interstitial Lung Disease
Sleep and Ventilation
Difficult Asthma and Occupational Asthma
Our medical team is led by worldwide eminent consultants who are leaders in all the diseases of the chest Our
multidisciplinary team works in partnership with the nurse consultant, clinical nurse specialists, physiotherapists, scientists
and technicians. This provides great opportunities for developing a first-class service.
For nurses interested in joining our team, we can provide you with excellent clinical training and experience and first class
nurse colleagues to work with you. We hope that you will share with us your knowledge and expertise, so we may all
develop together. We aim to equip you with detailed knowledge and clinical competence in up-to-date respiratory practice
to ensure patients receive the very best quality of care.
Surgery
Surgery & Private Patients – Royal Brompton Hospital
Senior Nurse / Modern Matron:
Kathryn Farrow
Location:
Elizabeth and Princess Alexandra wards
Level 5, Sydney Street
Sir Reginald Wilson ward
Level 4 Sydney Street
Overview
Elizabeth ward is a 28-bedded ward incorporating a 5-bedded High Dependency Unit, and cares for patients undergoing
investigations and surgery for thoracic and cardiac conditions.
Princess Alexandra ward is a 27-bedded ward incorporating a 4-bedded High Dependency Unit, with a view to increase it to 5
beds. Patients requiring cardiac surgery or investigations prior to surgery, are cared for on this ward.
Sir Reginald Wilson ward is the private patients ward. It has 24 single rooms and a 4-bedded High Dependency Unit.
Patients requiring investigations and treatments for cardiothoracic conditions are cared for here, this includes cardiology,
cardiothoracic surgery and respiratory medicine.
All three wards offer excellent experience for those wishing to work in this exciting field of nursing. The wards work very
closely together, and share a commitment to delivering an excellent standard of nursing care. Enthusiasm and innovation are
encouraged, and the trust as a whole is very supportive of further education and staff development, and affords excellent
opportunities in these areas, both via our in-house training and development department, and our links with further
education institutions such as Thames Valley University and Imperial College.
The trust is at the forefront in research and developments in cardiothoracic/respiratory medicine, and therefore provides
excellent opportunities to get involved in the most up-to-date initiatives.
As the wards have integral high dependency units, the nursing staff are able to gain experience in caring for patients
through the various stages of their journey through the Brompton Hospital.
Surgery - Harefield Hospital
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Janet Marsh
Location:
Adult Surgical Unit (ASU)
Overview
As a progressive unit, we care for patients undergoing routine and complex cardiothoracic surgical procedures. We have a
strong commitment to personal and professional development, which is reflected, in our approach to staff. Our private
patients unit also offers experience in cardiothoracic medical procedures.
Within the Adult Surgical Directorate, there are two wards, C Floor (24 beds), F West (12 beds) and the High Dependency
Unit (9 beds).
C. Floor and F West are cardiothoracic surgical wards and the High Dependency Unit is a separate designated unit offering
Level 2 care. All areas have a internal rotation system between day and night duty. The majority of staff work 12hr shifts,
although we do accommodate a percentage of staff on part-time or flexable working contracts.
We have a Band 7 Educational Facilitor in post to work alongside all our staff within the surgical directorate supporting you
in your career development. In house Development days are offered and post basic training is support through government
funding.
Theatres
Theatres - Royal Brompton Hospital
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Krinna Gopaul
Location:
Level 3, Sydney Street, South Kensington, London
Overview
The department provides a 7 day, 24 hour service with staff in full and part-time positions and with a strong on call
commitment. Each year Royal Brompton Hospital performs over 1,800 open heart operations, of which 300 are children, and
over 1,000 thoracic procedures. Patients come from all over the United Kingdom and many other countries.
There are five operating theatres: one thoracic theatre, three cardiac theatres and one paediatric. These are supported by a
hospital sterilisation service department situated on site. The staff within the department include nurses, operating
department assistants/practitioners, anaesthetic nurses, perfusionists, health care assistants and porters.
Surgery performed includes:
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Coronary artery bypass graft
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Valve surgery
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Cardiopulmonary transplantation
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Paediatric and neo-natal operations
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Major thoracic and oesophageal surgery
And use endoscopic, minimally invasive and robotic techniques.
The operating department is involved in the development and application of new surgical techniques and research. As a
department we are working towards collaborative care methods, to improving the peri-operative experience of the patient
through improved documentation and subsequent care planning. Staff are happy to talk patients through what will happen by
visiting them on the wards and we maintain close contact and communication with the ward and intensive care therapy units.
We also have a major interest in the continual development of staff and have well established learning contracts used to
develop staff in conjunction with their individual learning programmes. We have an open policy regarding student education
and encourage movement of all students with learning objectives in relation to theatres.
Theatres - Harefield
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Jackie Burbidge – Theatre Manager
Location:
Harefield Hospital, Hill End Road, Harefield
Overview
The Theatre department at Harefield Hospital can offer you an unparalleled opportunity to gain experience in Adult
cardiothoracic surgery including transplantation. The theatre suite is situated on 2 levels, 3 cardiac theatres on the ground
floor in close proximity to a 14 bedded ICU .All aspects of adult cardiac surgery are performed and a heart / heart lung
transplantation programme is fully established.
The hospital also has a strong commitment towards artificial heart insertion and Ventricular Assist Devices are used in a
variety of clinical support situations. The first floor houses 2 thoracic theatres, and endoscopy suite and a 4-bedded recovery
unit.
The thoracic service is on the 1st floor and consists of 2 theatres a 4 bedded post aneasthetic care unit and an endoscopy
suite.A broad range of thoracic and oesophageal surgery is performed supported by 7 consultant surgeons and 9 consultant
anaesthetists. Within the team we have a full complement of 30 nursing staff, 8 ODP's, a perfusion service, sterile services
assistants and porters. The approach is collaborative and multi-skilling is encouraged.
At least one nurse is supported each year to access an anaesthetic course and is encouraged to consolidate for a further
year in anaesthetics after successfully gaining a qualifications currently at Luton University We also contract with Thames
Valley University to access a variety of post graduate courses with staff taking an active role in leading education and taking
initiatives forward.
The department is led by the Theatre Manager, supported by 2 theatre coordinators Chief Perfusionist and an anaesthetic
and recovery coordinator. There are excellent opportunities for those staff showing motivation and commitment. The service
is supported by a shift system and an on-call commitment. Hours are flexible and negotiable within the needs of the service
Transplant
Transplant unit
Senior Nurse /Modern Matron:
Sherrie M Panther
Location:
E & F East Ward, Harefield Hospital, Hill End Road, Harefield
Overview
The Harefield Transplant Unit has 30 beds on two wards, 6 of which are High Dependency Beds. We care for
patients awaiting assessment for transplantation, or who have been accepted onto the waiting list, as well as individuals
following transplantation, or needing re-admission with complications following transplantation. Patients with a ventricular
assist device are also treated on the unit.
The service includes the Artificial Heart Service and Recipient Transplant Co-ordination Departments. Transplant Clinic
provides postoperative follow up and we also have the first Cardio-Thoracic Transplant Nurse Consultant in the county.
The wards have extended care facilities for patients requiring invasive support and are the first cardio thoracic centre to offer
haemofiltratiion within HDU in a ward setting . We also plan to expand this service to incorporate other innovative
developments in transplantation.
Nursing care is based on the Orem nursing model to enable the patients to become confident and independent, which will
facilitate compliance and understanding of their treatment and their new life
The philosophy of the unit is to provide and deliver a high standard of nursing care whilst providing flexible working patterns
for staff. The nurses rotate between both wards and the clinic. All staff have a mentor who supervises on five supernumerary
shifts and each member is allocated a team facilitator.
In-service training on the unit will enable you to expand and develop your skills in high dependency nursing, intermediate
care, complex nursing procedures and palliative care. A personal development plan with the cardio respiratory
competencies is continuously up-dated with the aid of the practice development sister and clinical facilitator, who also keep
nurses up to date with current nursing issues.
Other continuing education opportunities include a 5 day course over eight-weeks run on the principles of transplantation.
This gives an overview and good basic knowledge on which to build. There are also various in-house study days and
courses. There is opportunity to apply for the cardio thoracic course, introduction to critical care course or a course pertinent
for your development. We also encourage nurses to attend national and international conferences. Pre and post-registration
students are allocated to the unit.
You will also be given the opportunity to visit other departments that contribute to the holistic care of the patient under going
cardiothoracic transplanation.