Nurse Specialist - Infective Endocarditis Valve

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

The closing date is 09 April 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the valve specialist nursing team at Leeds General Infirmary for a Registered Nurse to cover maternity leave for a fixed term of 12 months. The successful candidate will be responsible in managing caseload of adult patients with a diagnosis of suspected or confirmed infective endocarditis. This role will involve participating in weekly ward rounds, coordinating multidisciplinary meetings and referrals to other speciality teams, providing patients with education and support and acting as a point of contact for referrers from within Leeds Teaching Hospitals and from other centres around the region.

The post is based in the Division of Cardiology, within the Yorkshire Heart Centre at Leeds General Infirmary and the successful candidate will join the team and work under the supervision of the Lead Valve Nurse and the Endocarditis clinical lead to provide a seamless pathway.

Applicant must be registered nurse with substantive post-registration experience in cardiac services and endocarditis care. They must have effective interpersonal and communication skills and be able to work both independently and as part of a team.

For further information or to discuss this opportunity please contact Marta Verga on marta.verga@nhs.net

Main duties of the job

The jobholder will be responsible for a managed caseload of adult patients with a diagnosis of suspected or confirmed infective endocarditis. This role will involve participating in weekly ward rounds, coordinating multidisciplinary meetings and referrals to other speciality teams, providing patients with education and support and acting as a point of contact for referrers from within Leeds Teaching Hospitals and from other centres around the region.

Once established in the role, it is hoped that the post holder will lead their own inpatient reviews on stable patients and conduct outpatient clinics on patients discharged on outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) with the support of senior clinicians. There will also be the opportunity to develop research skills through data collation and analysis with the aim of writing publications and presenting at national meetings.

As a senior nurse working independently but within a team environment the post holder will need to be a confident, outgoing person with excellent communication skills who will demonstrate an ability to be highly self-motivated. Background knowledge of cardiology and a willingness to participate in professional development and develop further nurse led services are highly desirable. Training and education in house will be provided to develop and build on an existing knowledge.

About us

Come and join our team in Leeds and become part of The Leeds Way sharing our vision and values. Our Trust is recognised for our staff engagement, great care and rated GOOD by the Care Quality Commission.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest acute health providers in the UK and based in one of the fastest growing and vibrant cities in the north.

At Cardio-Respiratory CSU, we aim to be a fair and supportive CSU with positive, caring teams who are champions of the Leeds Way values. Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Patient-centred

Collaborative

Fair

Accountable

Empowered

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Date posted

19 March 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9298-CRS-256

Job locations

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF

Job description

Job responsibilities

Principle Duties & Areas of Responsibility

Acts in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct

To fulfil the requirements as directed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to maintain and revalidate registration

Clinical

Clinical care delivery

- Provide a clinical lead and role model to nursing staff by delivering high quality care.

- Undertake clinical procedures where dexterity and accuracy are required.

- Maintain a safe working environment

- Undertake duties on other wards or departments as and when required by service demands or patient need.

- Raise concerns with regards to risk, danger, malpractice or wrong doing by following the LTHT Whistleblowing policy and supporting processes.

Responsibilities for patient and client care

- Act in such a way that safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults at all times. Is familiar with and adheres to, the LTHT safeguarding policies

- Assesses, plans, implements and evaluates care and treatments using specialist clinical knowledge and skills.

- Organises own clinical workload.

- Receives supervision of clinical care and outcomes from Team Leader and Senior Clinicians within the Endocarditis Team.

Freedom to act

- Refer patients as appropriate to other members of the multi-disciplinary team

- Make clinical assessments and treatment decisions within clearly defined policies and protocols

Communication

- Maintains accurate clinical and other records using the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trusts documentation.

- Support patients and their families communicating sensitive condition related information and ensuring they receive required information to enable them to participate in their care delivery

- Liaise with Community Services (as appropriate) to ensure seamless provision of care delivery

Education and Training

- Provide training and education of learners and other junior staff

- Actively participate in the development of own personal development plan and performance review

- Provide education and training to patients and their carers.

- Keep up to date with developments, advances within the specialty

- To complete Mandatory and Priority Training within the specified timescales

- Participate in own and others appraisals

Leadership and management

- Investigate and respond to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events

- Actively promote and use the Leeds Improvement method to improve the quality and safety of the service

- Work with Team Leader to promote the development of nurses undertaking the CNO Ten Key Roles as considered appropriate

- Under the direction of the Team Leader, participates in or leads the development of specific elements of nursing practice, reflecting the CSUs and Nursing Directorate business plans

- Participates in the setting, monitoring and improvement of standards and the quality of patient care, including those standards defined in the National Benchmarks for Essential Care

- Promote evidence based practice, wherever possible

- Engages users and carers views on service delivery and development

- Implement policy and practice guidelines specific to the clinical specialty, proposing changes where appropriate

- Contribute to policy and protocol development for speciality area

- Exercises a personal duty of care in relation to equipment, resource and stock control utilising equipment and supplies appropriately.

Research and Audit

- Contribute to the research agenda

- Undertake audit programmes specific to client group, treatments and developments.

- Participate in clinical trials as appropriate

Job description

Job responsibilities

Principle Duties & Areas of Responsibility

Acts in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct

To fulfil the requirements as directed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to maintain and revalidate registration

Clinical

Clinical care delivery

- Provide a clinical lead and role model to nursing staff by delivering high quality care.

- Undertake clinical procedures where dexterity and accuracy are required.

- Maintain a safe working environment

- Undertake duties on other wards or departments as and when required by service demands or patient need.

- Raise concerns with regards to risk, danger, malpractice or wrong doing by following the LTHT Whistleblowing policy and supporting processes.

Responsibilities for patient and client care

- Act in such a way that safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults at all times. Is familiar with and adheres to, the LTHT safeguarding policies

- Assesses, plans, implements and evaluates care and treatments using specialist clinical knowledge and skills.

- Organises own clinical workload.

- Receives supervision of clinical care and outcomes from Team Leader and Senior Clinicians within the Endocarditis Team.

Freedom to act

- Refer patients as appropriate to other members of the multi-disciplinary team

- Make clinical assessments and treatment decisions within clearly defined policies and protocols

Communication

- Maintains accurate clinical and other records using the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trusts documentation.

- Support patients and their families communicating sensitive condition related information and ensuring they receive required information to enable them to participate in their care delivery

- Liaise with Community Services (as appropriate) to ensure seamless provision of care delivery

Education and Training

- Provide training and education of learners and other junior staff

- Actively participate in the development of own personal development plan and performance review

- Provide education and training to patients and their carers.

- Keep up to date with developments, advances within the specialty

- To complete Mandatory and Priority Training within the specified timescales

- Participate in own and others appraisals

Leadership and management

- Investigate and respond to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events

- Actively promote and use the Leeds Improvement method to improve the quality and safety of the service

- Work with Team Leader to promote the development of nurses undertaking the CNO Ten Key Roles as considered appropriate

- Under the direction of the Team Leader, participates in or leads the development of specific elements of nursing practice, reflecting the CSUs and Nursing Directorate business plans

- Participates in the setting, monitoring and improvement of standards and the quality of patient care, including those standards defined in the National Benchmarks for Essential Care

- Promote evidence based practice, wherever possible

- Engages users and carers views on service delivery and development

- Implement policy and practice guidelines specific to the clinical specialty, proposing changes where appropriate

- Contribute to policy and protocol development for speciality area

- Exercises a personal duty of care in relation to equipment, resource and stock control utilising equipment and supplies appropriately.

Research and Audit

- Contribute to the research agenda

- Undertake audit programmes specific to client group, treatments and developments.

- Participate in clinical trials as appropriate

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Registered Nurse (Level 1)
Evidence of continued professional development
Willing to undergo training as necessary

Desirable

Post registration qualification in specialty
Recognised teaching/ assessing qualification

Experience

Essential

Significant post registration experience at Band 5 or equivalent and experience within the relevant speciality area

Desirable

Service development and/or change management
Audit & Standard setting

Skills & behaviours

Essential

Excellent written and verbal skills
Ability to organise and prioritise own and others workload
Excellent interpersonal skills
Understanding of research-based practice
Capable of lateral thinking

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Registered Nurse (Level 1)
Evidence of continued professional development
Willing to undergo training as necessary

Desirable

Post registration qualification in specialty
Recognised teaching/ assessing qualification

Experience

Essential

Significant post registration experience at Band 5 or equivalent and experience within the relevant speciality area

Desirable

Service development and/or change management
Audit & Standard setting

Skills & behaviours

Essential

Excellent written and verbal skills
Ability to organise and prioritise own and others workload
Excellent interpersonal skills
Understanding of research-based practice
Capable of lateral thinking

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).

Additional information