Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job description

Job responsibilities

TITLE OF POST: CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST

ACCOUNTABLE TO: DIRECTOR OF CARE

JOB PURPOSE: To provide specialist level palliative care and support to children and young people with life limiting conditions and their families living within our catchment area of South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire, North Nottinghamshire and parts of North Lincolnshire.

To provide a point of contact for palliative care, symptom control and management issues for professionals and teams in health, social care and education services.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The post will work both within the community and the hospice, providing support to children, their families and colleagues.

The post holder will work alongside colleagues to provide 24-hour care, seven days a week.

The post holder will sit on the hospice Senior Care Leadership Team. They will contribute to governance, including the writing of policies, procedures, audit and research and the delivering of training and education.

To line manage the associate clinical nurse specialist.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Undertake clinical assessment and to plan, deliver and evaluate holistic and evidence based specialist nursing care to children and young people with life limiting conditions, as an integral part of the hospice interdisciplinary care team.
• Act as an independent prescriber within scope of professional practice, prescribing a range of medicines.
• Act as a point of contact for symptom control and palliative management advice for children and young people, in the full range of settings (home, hospital, hospice and school).
• Develop and maintain specialist level palliative care knowledge and skills across a range of procedures and practices including medicines management.
• Participate in the 24/7 on call service, working collaboratively with the on call doctors and senior nursing colleagues to provide an on call support to hospice-based care services and community based complex symptom management.
• Provide clinical advice and support to health, social care and education sector professionals, ensuring a coordinated interdisciplinary, multiagency approach to the provision of palliative care for children and young people.
• Develop, review and evaluate comprehensive symptom management plans (including CYPACPs), coordinating and supporting their implementation and use across agencies and Teams that children access.
• Use current evidence-based practice to deliver quality palliative care in collaboration with all colleagues.
• Facilitate the links between the hospitals, community teams and Bluebell Wood Hospice, providing a coordinated system of referral, to maximise continuity of care for children and their families, including supporting the smooth transition of young people into adult services.
• Network at local, regional, and national level.
• Represent the hospice at the child death overview panels and share associated learning with the care team.
• Effectively communicate information accurately and timely to support effective team working.
• Develop and maintain an effective working relationship with the Care Team, Family Support Team, Senior Care Leadership Team, and the Medical Team.
• To be an advocate of and role model for Bluebell Wood’s values.
• Provide support, advice and guidance to the Care Team.
• Attend regular meetings as appropriate contributing positively to discussion and debates for shared decision-making.
• Act as practice supervisor and assessor (mentor), participating in and supporting the professional development of colleagues and students.
• Liaise effectively with other professional agencies, as appropriate.

• To work at least one day per month on the Care Floor as a part of the Care Team to provide holistic care for residents.

Care Lead Management requirements:

• Work as part of the hospice Senior Care Leadership Team to develop and embed a culture of innovation, personal development and continual service improvement within the care team and wider organisation.
• Establish effective communication with relevant individuals and groups, including key members of the hospice, the locality community nursing teams, service users, other hospices, members of the Yorkshire and Humber Children’s Palliative network forum and relevant statutory and voluntary organisations.
• To be an active member of the Hospice Clinical Governance Committee and allocated governance subcommittees
• Participate in the effective recruitment and retention of care staff, working closely with the Care Management Team and ensure appropriate support, supervision, and regular appraisal of hospice associate clinical nurse specialist.
• Lead on the development and effective implementation of organisational policies and guidelines as required.

Education

• Provide clinical teaching within the hospice and to agencies we work alongside.
• Empower and encourage staff to reach their potential.
• To work closely with the Director of Care, Education and Quality Lead, Head of Care and Clinical Educators to identify areas of need within the hospice and support the learning of the Care Team to enable them to deliver a quality service.

Personal Professional Development

• Actively participate in own regular appraisal process and be responsible for own professional development, including identification of own individual needs and professional development needs, and plan to achieve these.
• Actively participate in the development of a research and evidence based culture.
• Adopt a positive and reflective approach to personal and professional development, participating constructively in the annual appraisal process.
• Maintain professional development by keeping up to date with current research and developments within the field of palliative care and in accordance with continuing professional development requirements.
• Comply with the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) ‘The Code’ (NMC, 2015, updated 2018)
• Maintain a high level of professional standards to retain public confidence.
• Maintain confidentiality of children, families, and staff at all times.

Training and development

• Attend staff development programmes, including all mandatory training and eLearning as required.
• Take an active role in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee and to be responsible for setting and agreeing a personal development plan with your line manager.
• Develop and maintain an awareness of evidence based practice and current developments in children’s palliative care and the implications these may have for the delivery of care.
• Ensure personal and professional development through reflective practice and peer supervision.

Safeguarding

• Compliance with hospice and Local Safeguarding Children’s Board policies, procedures and practice.
• Following hospice policy regarding the management of safeguarding concerns.
• Communicating and escalating concerns over a child in need of protection or a child in need of support to safeguarding lead, child protection teams or other statutory partners or agencies

Equality and diversity

• Supporting equality, diversity and rights of all, including children, young people and their families and staff.
• Actively promoting the consultation of children, young people and families and encouraging their involvement and participation in decision-making.

Health and safety

• To comply with health and safety policies and ensure compliance by others.
• Taking reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and others who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work.
• Ensuring that all members of the team are aware of, and adhere to, current policies regarding infection control at all times. Ensuring an awareness and observation of Fire and Health and Safety Regulations.

All Managers of staff at Bluebell Wood are expected to:

• Take part in inductions for new team members and for staff returning from long absence.
• Lead and guide staff, providing the support needed to maintain morale and enable them to work effectively
• Supervise your staff members appropriately in their day-to-day work and actively work to recognise the work that they do
• Carry out regular 1:1s and schedule team meetings as appropriate
• Undertake annual appraisals with your staff members, assisting them in the preparation of Personal Development Plans
• Support appropriate staff learning and development within your team
• Communicate effectively with your team
• Play a role in the recruitment of new staff within your area, once appropriate training has been given
• Manage sickness absence fairly and effectively
• Manage performance issues fairly and consistently, taking advice from the HR team where appropriate

Professional Standards

• Ensuring that your professional conduct within and outside of the hospice does not conflict with professional expectations.
• Ensuring the respect, dignity and rights to privacy of children, young people and their families as far as possible.
• Maintain and always promote confidentiality and ensure the data protection framework is met
• Maintain standards to reduce the risk of Healthcare associated infections
• Lead and guide staff, providing the support needed to maintain morale and enable them to work effectively
• Support appropriate staff learning and development within the team

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Current NMC registration (RN Child, RSCN or equivalent)
• Educated to master level OR evidence of study at this level
• Independent non-medical prescriber (V300), or currently undertaking the course

Desirable

• Community nursing registration qualification (RHV, DN Cert, School Nurse or CCN)
• Palliative care qualification
• Post graduate management qualification

Skills/Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Ability to develop a high degree of clinical credibility amongst peers in field
• Evidence of advanced communication skills including proven ability in conflict management
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of clinical leadership and team building skills
• Good organisational and administration skills
• IT Literate, including the ability to use Microsoft Office Suite
• Excellent teaching, facilitation and presentation skills
• Excellent knowledge of key recent developments in the field of palliative care
• In depth knowledge of professional accountability issues and scope of professional practice
• Comprehensive knowledge of clinical governance and the ability to ensure that practice is clinically effective.
• Strong analytical skills and creative approach to problem solving
• Knowledge and experience of delivering clinical supervision
• Knowledge and understanding of children and young adults health needs in a racially and culturally diverse population
• Knowledge and experience of conducting research/audit
• Demonstratable understanding and application of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) framework

Desirable

• Experience of leading advanced care planning with families and peers
• Experience of developing and sustaining relationships across networks, settings and sectors

Experience

Essential

• Registered Childrens Nurse with previous experience working at senior clinical level
• Extensive experience of symptom relief/palliative care
• Demonstrable experience in case-load management or working at a specialist or advanced clinical level
• Demonstrate experience in developing new services
• Leadership of safeguarding approaches and supporting a team in developing
• Experience of leading clinical audit, evidence based research or quality assurance programmes
• Evidence of regular post qualifying continuing professional development in relevant fields

Desirable

• Experience of delivering care to children and young adults with complex health needs within a palliative care setting

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Dynamic, enthusiastic and persuasive personality
• Have a proactive leadership style
• Fully committed to the aims and objectives of Bluebell Wood Hospice
• Fully committed to the pursuit of personal success and organisational excellence
• A positive approach to team working, underpinned by an understanding of its value to an organisation
• Good attention to detail
• A commitment to promoting equality of opportunity
• A commitment to ongoing personal and professional development

Other

Essential

• Legally entitled to work in this country
• Willing and able to travel extensively to meet the needs of our children, young people and their families
• Car driver with access to a reliable vehicle and business insurance cover

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice

Address

Cramfit Road

North Anston

Sheffield

S25 4AJ

Employer's website

https://www.bluebellwood.org/ (Opens in a new tab)