Community Heart Failure Specialist Nurse (HFSN)

Job responsibilities

Clinical responsibilities:

To include level of responsibility for:

• Assess, risk-stratify and plan care for all HF/CR referrals received from HF team, in-hospital departments, GP Practices, HCPs and self-referrals.
• Provide highly specialised, evidence-based advice and information regarding all aspects of Heart failure, intervention and treatment to patients and their families/carers.
• Improve patients confidence and capability in self-management of their conditions with appropriate use of other healthcare resources.
• Ensure all patient information is documented in an accurate and timely manner.
• Manage the telephone calls, clinic and virtual consultations to support HF patients ensuring optimisation of all therapies such as medications, cardiac devices and CR (REACH-HF).
• Develop personalised care plans with shared decision making between individuals and professionals. Plans should endeavour to address depression, anxiety, loneliness, isolation, as well as healthy behaviours. Facilitate online and virtual programmes
• Improve patients health-related quality of life, self-management, functional and maximum exercise capacity; reducing disability associated with HF.
• Independently manage and run HFSN led clinics providing information and advice regarding explanation of diagnosis, symptom control, risk factor management, stress management, exercise, dietary and HF medicines advice and HF medicines optimisation.
• Provide health education to groups/individual patients ensuring that appropriate, consistent and realistic information is provided.
• Provide sensitive and highly complex information in sometimes hostile and highly emotive atmospheres.
• Provide internal and external teaching.
• Make and receive direct referrals to and from relevant members of the multi-disciplinary teams and Primary Care colleagues when appropriate.
• Initiate relevant investigations if required and advice on appropriate treatment.
• Liaise with Consultant HF and Cardiologists as appropriate.
• Devise and maintain educational/health promotion documentation for patients, ward staff etc.
• Use professional judgement to act as an advocate for patients to ensure patient focussed care. Enabling patients and carers to make informed decisions relating to their treatment and management. Escalate any concerns.
• Report any concerns regarding safeguarding, awareness of trust policies of safeguarding, mental capacity and DOLS and the application of the principles of Prevent.
• To prescribe as a non-medical prescriber appropriate medical therapies as agreed by the trust.
• Seek expert help or more experienced help where necessary.
• Practice within the scope of professional registration (NMC)

Education and development responsibilities:

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge and expertise of HF speciality.
• To take responsibility for adjusting ones own scope of professional practice in order to demonstrate competence and continuous development.
• Participate in research, audit related to care of HF patients, inclusive of collection of data to ensure milestones for HF/CR project are met.
• Undertake appropriate training to enhance patient care within current guidelines.
• Provide specialist advice which contributes to the diagnosis care and education/carers within the speciality of heart failure management.
• Keep knowledge updated in all aspects of CR and HF including stress management, relaxation, exercise, healthy eating, smoking cessation, resuscitation and medication.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Experience in heart failure as a band 6
• Ability to run Nurse led Clinics
• Optimising HF medicines, referrals for cardiac devices and other therapies
• Extensive knowledge of heart failure and management
• Cardiac rehabilitation knowledge and experience

Desirable

• Leadership course
• Ability to present healthy lifestyles information to both patients as individuals and in groups
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of NICE 2018 and ESC 2021 guidance on heart failure

Qualification(s) and Professional Training

Essential

• Registered Nurse (E) Degree
• Heart failure Module level 6/7 or equivalent
• Non-Medical prescribing Level 6/7 or willing to undertake
• Advanced Clinical Assessment Skills Level 6/7
• BACPR Physical Activity and Exercise in Heart failure or willing to

Desirable

• REACH-HF Facilitator

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• IT skills
• Audit experience/research skills
• Delivery patient education and HCP
• Management of patient caseload
• Ability to make accurate autonomous decisions and act upon these appropriately
• Able to prioritise and meet deadlines
• Able to use initiative and make decisions
• Analysis problems and implement effective solutions
• Effective time management
• Excellent communication skills
• Negotiating skills

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Professional at all times
• Motivated and able to motivate others
• Able to work within team , across professional groups and stakeholders

Trust Values

Essential

• Effective Open Communication
• Excellence & Safety in all that we do
• Challenge but Support
• Expect Respect & Dignity
• Local Healthcare that inspires confidence

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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