Secondment to develop Community Nurse Palliative Care expertise

Job responsibilities

Line Manager: Lead Nurse Community Services East/ West

Professionally accountable to: Director of Clinical Services

The Community Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) within the community team is a specialist practitioner with extensive knowledge, skills and competency to manage a caseload of patients with advanced, progressive life limiting disease.

The CNS will undertake the holistic assessment, planning and delivery of a consistently high standard of specialist palliative and supportive care in accordance with the hospice policy, procedures and standards.

The CNS will establish effective working relationships with specified Primary Health Care teams and act as a resource for professionals and non- professionals involved in palliative care within the community.

Responsibilities

Independently assess the patient needs, identify their goals and work with the patient and family towards achieving them.

To make appropriate referrals to the multi-disciplinary team and work collaboratively with a wide range of community based services.

To actively seek and identify areas where changes to routines and practices will result in improvements.

Observe legal requirements regarding the security and administration of drugs in accordance with the NMC Standards for Medicines Management (2007).

Effective caseload management within the locality team; this will include reviewing patients for discharge at three months or sooner.

Record contemporaneous and accurate patient records according to NMC guidance.

Work within The NMC Code of professional conduct: standards for conduct, performance and ethics.

Contribute to the aims and objectives of improving health and wellbeing outcomes, including health promotion, widening access to services and reducing health inequalities by maintaining awareness of current trends and developments.

Participate in the planning and undertaking of patient and carer satisfaction surveys contributing to action plans to address the identified outcomes.

Actively participate in audit programmes to influence practice.

Record concisely, accurately and confidentially the appropriate elements of the history, examination, results of investigations differential diagnosis and management plan.

Present cases clearly, consistently and professionally to the multi professional team contributing effectively in patient management.

Provide clinical expertise, and specialist advice and support to assess and analyse highly complex situations, including patients with multiple comorbidities, complex psychological or social issues.

Demonstrate an in depth knowledge of the options for achieving control of symptoms and ability to advise the primary healthcare team.

Plan and manage own caseload and prioritise response to referrals and urgent requests for advice.

Explore the personal resources of families and carers in order to ensure patients are cared for in the place of their choice and support carers at home in managing a relative whose condition is deteriorating.

Recognise and manage palliative care emergencies.

Demonstrate safe mobilisation and movement of patients in the community and how to obtain appropriate equipment.

Manage complex communication issues with patient and families as a lone worker in the community; using advanced level of knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills.

Maintain expert clinical knowledge and skills, using evidence based practice.

Develop and provide relevant education programmes internally and externally.

Provide support, assessment and mentorship of student nurses with St Margarets on pre-registration nursing programmes.

Participate in teaching of all staff, up to and including post-graduate level.

Participate in clinical supervision, significant event meetings and journal club presentations both within the hospice and within the locality setting.

Provide learning opportunities for other health and social care workers via mentorship and supervision. This includes providing inter-professional support for staff of all disciplines and clinical placements.

For full description of responsibilities and organisation chart, please refer to Job Description in the supporting documents

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse RN1.
• Degree level or equivalent study in related subject, such as acute oncology, palliative care, chronic conditions management (or willing to work towards).
• Post registration qualification or experience in palliative care/oncology or related subject.
• Recognised teaching qualification or prepared to work towards.

Desirable

• Non-medical prescribing qualification.
• Advanced Communication.
• Physical Assessment & Clinical Reasoning.(PACR)
• Management qualification

Experience

Essential

• Relevant post-registration experience in cancer, palliative care or relevant speciality.
• In-depth specialist experience in care of patients with complex needs.
• Recent leadership and management experience.
• Experience of multi-professional working.
• Experience of mentorship and teaching

Desirable

• Experience of working at a senior level.
• Experience of community nursing.
• Understanding and commitment to audit and research.
• Excellent presentation and report writing skills.
• Knowledge of End of Life Care tools and their application in practice.

Organisational & IT Skills

Essential

• Able to prioritise and manage caseload effectively and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work autonomously with minimum supervision, managing time, work commitments and priorities.
• Ability to work flexibly and respond to changing or conflicting priorities.
• Competence in the assessment and management of complex symptom control presentation.
• Computer literate, able to use word documents, database and e-mail communication.

Communication and People Skills

Essential

• Assertive, confident yet approachable.
• Personally and professional mature.
• Ability to lead and influence change.

Other requirements

Essential

• Ability to travel to meet the requirements of the role.
• Flexible approach to working hours.

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).