Palliative Care RGN (SMH B6) - SMH Hospice at Home

Job responsibilities

The Hospice at Home Team provide both a planned and reactive service to those deemed to be in their final weeks of life requiring specialist palliative care advice and support.

The Hospice at Home Nursing team specialise in providing palliative care and support to patients at the End of Life. The H@H specialists nurses provide clinical assessments, advice on symptom management at end of life and provide clinical interventions to enable the patient to remain at home.

The team are supported by the wider multi-professional team within St. Michaels Hospice.

The service is supplementary to, and works alongside, other health care services within North Hampshire.

You will be responsible for the assessment of the persons care needs. You will develop, implement and evaluate care plans in conjunction with patients, relatives and other professionals ensuring individual physical and psychological needs are met.

Responsibilities

Proactively assess, plan, implement and evaluate patients based on an agreed plan of care, that supports quality and timely care, in line with their needs

Create and maintain good relationships internally with the wider community palliative care team as well as other community health and social care providers.

Provide reactive work to the need of the workload coming in per day, and prioritise appropriately

Mentor, support and supervise the work of junior colleagues, unqualified staff, students, and volunteers

Actively enable the education and development of professionals involved in the care of palliative service users.

Clinical

To develop a high level of clinical expertise in the field of palliative and end of life care

Develop the knowledge of initial assessment, history taking, physical examination and psychosocial functioning of patients in a holistic manner.

Develop skills to review and interpret all information available utilising a systematic process of complex diagnostic reasoning to make a working and differential diagnosis while under direct supervision.

Develop and record a treatment plan consistent with the outcome of assessment and most probable diagnosis and taking into account patient wishes and preferences.

Assess patients and advise colleagues regarding the treatment of appropriate reversible causes.

Recognise when patients are approaching the last weeks / days of life and adjust care accordingly to meet their needs and priorities.

Provide nursing skilled clinical interventions within the home/community setting

Proficient in verification of death process

To be able to support and provide care for patients and their families at the time of death taking into account any spiritual or cultural needs.

Support of clinical colleagues and team members following a patients death or distressing situation.

Support equality and diversity.

Be able to plan and manage own workload / caseload in a flexible manner ensuring that service provision meets the needs of patients.

To be willing to undertake advanced practice accredited courses at masters level.

Communication

Participate in discussion during multi-professional meetings.

Provide clear and concise handovers to colleagues to improve coherent care across the service

Review, evaluate and update nursing care, ensuring accurate documentation and reporting in accordance with NMC guidelines and SMH policy

Apply empathetic communication and approach discussions in a sensitive and dignified manner.

To liaise and develop effective relationships with external health care professionals and other agencies ensuring patient continuity across all care settings.

Attend and participate in team meetings and clinical supervision.

Management

Manage allocated resources effectively. Ensure competency in the use and function of equipment report malfunctions.

Manage time in an efficient and appropriate manner, showing the ability to triage, delegate and plan work accordingly.

To report any feedback, concerns or complaints from patients, their relatives, or other advocate, to the Team Lead as appropriate.

To ensure team cohesion and spirit is maintained, through ongoing supportive relationships and consideration of colleagues at all times.

Take opportunity to empower and lead junior colleagues to enhance their knowledge and build confidence.

To adhere to the lone working policy in the community.

Management of student

Education

Show competence in supporting student nurses in Practice Assessor roles.

Contribute and participate in professional teaching sessions both internally and externally.

Maintain own clinical ability by ensuring level of knowledge is based on current evidence-based research.

To maintain up-to-date clinical experience and knowledge and be able to provide evidence of this for nursing revalidation.

Through SMH annual appraisal, encourage professional growth and identify areas for personal and professional development

To strengthen and develop clinical skills across all care settings in conjunction with line manager.

Take keen interest in service enhancement and improvement, taking ownness for improving the services.

Research and Audit

To implement findings of evidence-based practice

Participate in research and audit within the SMH environment as appropriate to the service area.

To have a basic awareness of current research and developments within palliative care settings.

Professional

To understand and work within relevant legislation and SMH philosophy, mission and values.

To be mindful of own professional behaviours, conduct and practice, when working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

To be accountable for own professional practice within the NMC Code of Conduct

To ensure knowledge about patients is maintained in the strictest confidence, and is not divulged, except to professionals where it would materially exist with the programme of care or protection of the individual.

General Responsibilities

Work to maintain the values, vision and aims of St. Michaels Hospice.

Additional Duties In discussion with the line manager to undertake work, as and when required, in support of St. Michaels Hospice as an organisation.

Public Relations To represent St. Michaels Hospice in the community and public domain, including social media, appropriately.

Undertake all statutory and mandatory training, as required.

To be conversant with and adhere to all St. Michaels Hospice Policies and Procedures.

Be responsible for upholding and promoting St. Michaels Hospice safeguarding policies, ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals, and promptly reporting any concerns or incidents in accordance with established procedures.

This is an outline job description and may be subject to change, according to the needs of the service, in consultation with the post holder.

Take responsibility for own personal safety and of others whilst at work. You will take appropriate action or report any concerns to address any health and safety issues that you or members of your team may be aware of.

This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time, due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.

Qualifications

Essential

• - Relevant professional qualification and registration/RN
• - Appropriate degree qualification
• - Masters degree/modules or working towards.
• - Degree/modules in leadership/management or willingness to undertake.
• - Evidence of continued professional development.
• - Physical Assessment qualification or willingness to undertake.
• - Independent nurse prescriber or willing to undertake.
• - Nurse Assessor/Mentor training

Desirable

• Advanced communication qualification.
• Nurse Assessor/Mentor training
• Masters degree/modules or working towards.
• Degree/modules in leadership/management or willingness to undertake.

Experience

Essential

• -Substantial post registration experience and experience with supporting patients and relatives through the dying process
• -Demonstrable experience of working with or within an MDT setting
• -Experience of developing and teaching others
• - Advanced assessment and care planning skills.
• - Advanced communication skills.
• - Work independently as part of the wider nursing team.
• - Management and distribution of workload.
• - Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively communicate on the telephone and have IT experience.
• - Listening, negotiation and influencing skills.
• - Demonstrable mentorship skills.
• - Demonstrable computer literacy with knowledge of databases, Microsoft, use of email and aptitude to learn computer packages that are essential to the role.
• - Demonstrable knowledge and awareness of quality and governance

Desirable

• Community experience

Attitude, aptitudes, personal characteristics

Essential

• - Ability to effectively manage a clinical service.
• - Proactive, influential, motivational leader.
• - A positive approach to all aspects of work including influencing, managing and supporting change.
• - Quality focused, 'customer care' ethos.
• - Resilient practitioner and decision maker.
• - Ability to foster positive relationships.
• - Diplomatic, honest, behaves with integrity.
• - Ability to work on own initiative, independently and as part of a team.
• - Confidence and self awareness of own limitations and professional boundaries.
• - Resilient practitioner with the ability to work under pressure from time to time.
• - Demonstrates commitment to St Michael's vision and values

Other requirements

Essential

• - Full UK driving license
• - Access to transport to travel within the community setting across the SMH catchment area.
• - Business use on vehicle insurance

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).