Alcohol Nurse Specialist

Job summary

Band 6 12 month Secondment

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the alcohol care team at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead to expand and optimise the existing service with the recruitment of an alcohol specialist nurse.

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic registered nurse who is passionate about making a difference to patients, families/carers. The role will also include offering support to complex patients who frequently attend hospital to reduce further alcohol related presentations.

You will work alongside the Hepatology team, alcohol support workers, Consultants, GP's and other team members within the gastroenterology team. You must be aware of relevant safeguarding concerns in relation to alcohol misuse and raise these concerns appropriately.

The successful candidate should be able to work both independently and as part of a team, and be able to demonstrate relevant ongoing professional development. You should also possess excellent interpersonal skills and be able to provide practical and emotional support.

The candidate will have significant experience within the field of gastroenterology. This will include patients with alcohol misuse disorders and those with alcohol related liver disease. You must have excellent communication and leadership skills and will be committed to developing practice. Working collaboratively as part of a wider team and building relationships with colleagues is an essential element of this role.

Main duties of the job

• To assess, plan, implement and evaluate clinical, educational and investigational programmes, in order to meet the health and well-being needs of people experiencing problematic use of alcohol and those patients with liver disease.
• To lead in reducing average length of stay, Accident and Emergency attendances and Hospital admissions of people with alcohol related problems
• Support the Alcohol Care Team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in developing excellence in care within the specialism in accordance with evidence based Guidelines.
• To provide a continuously improving service in line with service requirements and within the SafeCare framework.
• To communicate effectively with all members of the multi-disciplinary team, patients, carers and the public
• To act as a resource and role model for the profession at all times
• To provide education and training to clinical staff and internal /external agencies

About us

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

As a group we employ around 4,200 staff and currently provide 600 hospital beds across Gateshead. Our primary focus is on providing excellent general health services to our local community complemented by key specialist areas including Gynaecology, maternity, palliative care and old age psychiatry.

Alongside a full range of local hospital services, we provide breast screening services for Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and parts of Durham - and we are the North Eastern hub for the National Bowel Cancer and AAA Screening Programmes, covering a population of around seven million people.