Clinical Nurse Specialist - Palliative Care

Job overview

• To work as a clinical nurse specialist and effectively deliver an expert nursing service within the multi-professional palliative care team on the Princess Royal Hospital site
• To manage a caseload of patients with specialist palliative care needs
• Participate in providing a face to face service including weekend working.
• To assist in the development of evidence based clinical nursing practice in line with current research and guidelines
• To establish clear lines of communication within palliative care to ensure cohesive multidisciplinary management of patients
• To link with other palliative care providers and primary care in order to facilitate the care of this group of people in the community
• To act as a role model to other nurses and support the delivery of palliative care education within the Trust
• To engage in the team’s governance program.

Main duties of the job

• To provide specialist nursing services for people with specialist palliative care needs, including their families.
• To accept responsibility for patients referred to the caseload, ensuring all patients have an accurate plan of care
• To accept responsibility as the named palliative care key worker, ensuring clear documentation in patient records
• To attend and ensure that appropriate palliative care patients on the caseload are discussed at the weekly MDT
• To liaise with local community, social services, paramedics and voluntary organisations in order to develop existing services
• Ensure all patients receive appropriate follow-up and relevant information is available to enable patients to make an informed choice about their treatment and future care
• To work with the Palliative Care Team to support the ongoing implementation of the 5 priorities for care of the dying person
• To be responsible for identifying and developing clinical protocols and strategies to enhance both the continuity and standard of specialist care whilst ensuring equity of access to the service
• To actively involve service users in providing feedback of their experience of the current service and suggestions for improvements
• To liaise with discharge coordinators and ward staff to ensure appropriate and timely discharge/follow-up arrangement in place for patients

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide specialist nursing services for people with specialist palliative care needs, including their families and significant others.
• To accept responsibility for patients referred to the caseload, ensuring all patients have an accurate plan of care, which reflects the assessment undertaken and incorporates the issues and recommendations made
• To accept responsibility as the named palliative care key worker, ensuring clear documentation in the patients’ records
• To co-ordinate a seamless service through the development of enhanced Multidisciplinary team (MDT) processes and communication
• To liaise with local community, social services, paramedics and voluntary organisations in order to develop existing services for clients, carers and health professional
• To work with the MDT to develop, implement and evaluate integrated care pathways and systems of MDT documentation, including the care of the dying person
• To participate in relevant forums at Care Group, Trust, CCG, Cancer Network or National/International Level to represent the service perspective
• To ensure all care is given in accordance with agreed protocols and guidelines
• To produce and provide all patients and relatives / carers with relevant and accessible written information regarding palliative care in accordance with Trust standard
• To forge and maintain effective links within primary, secondary and tertiary care to ensure effective communication

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.