Memory Assessment Nurse

The Managing Memory Together Service is a dynamic service, which is continually developing in response to the latest dementia policy drivers, both nationally and locally. Working within the team as a Memory Assessment Nurse provides opportunity to develop skills in assessment and treatment options for people living with dementia, as well as developing a wide range of working relationships within primary care and community services. The role of the Memory Assessment Nurse is to:

• Carry out comprehensive cognitive and mental health assessments, to support in the diagnosis of dementia
• Triage referrals and recognise where non-organic factors might contribute towards memory problems, so that these can be appropriately managed first, before a dementia assessment is considered.
• Work in liaison with partner agencies such as the Alzheimer's Society Dementia Advisor Service, Adult Social Care and primary care colleagues to provide specialist advice and support in the diagnosis of dementia, escalating concerns where required.
• Provide post-diagnostic support to people with dementia and their carers and contribute towards the patient and carer education group sessions provided within Managing Memory Together., The Memory Assessment Service can receive upwards of 200 referrals a month countywide. The post holder will carry out cognitive assessments for patients referred in to the memory assessment pathway by GPs and other healthcare professionals. They will support in the triage of referrals to ensure referrals are appropriate for the pathway and that reversible causes for memory difficulties have been excluded as much as is possible. The post holder will carry out nurse diagnosis appointments, where appropriate, as well as post-diagnostic support to patients and carers. They will also help to facilitate our regular patient and carer education sessions, alongside our Information and Education Service.
  
  We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people's homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.
Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:
• 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust's priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%.
This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top-quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.