Community Palliative Care Nurse Specialist, Band 6

Job overview

Community Palliative Care Nurse Specialist, Band 6 (30 hours a week)

We are seeking an enthusiastic, motivated and experienced registered nurse to join our community specialist palliative care service. You will be expected to work effectively as an autonomous practitioner, to promote and maintain quality of life for patients with life-limiting conditions requiring specialist palliative care, within the primary care setting.

Main duties of the job

To work as a clinical nurse specialist in managing a caseload of patients living with life limiting conditions who have complex symptoms and needs. To provide person cantered coordinated care, ensuring a cohesive, holistic and evidence-based approach to the management of palliative patients with complex symptoms and needs.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To work autonomously assessing patients and carers within the community setting, with complex physical, emotional, social and psychological symptoms as indicated to enable an appropriate plan of care to be developed.

To provide support and give specialist clinical advice to health care professionals, patients and carers concerning the care and treatment for palliative patients in all areas, hence ensuring effective decision making can be reached and appropriate treatment plans are developed. This will include frequently advising on medication, psychological issues and further treatments.

To establish and maintain effective communication relating to complex, sensitive and potentially stressful situations on a regular basis. Breaking bad news with patients, relatives, carers and other professionals throughout the patient’s illness. Supporting relatives, carers and staff in bereavement with the ability to recognize and refer on for complicated grief reactions.

To identify, organize and evaluate specialist intervention in response to complex needs on a daily basis. This includes identifying oncological /medical/palliative care emergencies, analysing clinical options and liaising with appropriate member of the multidisciplinary team.

To contribute to case conference and multidisciplinary team on a regular basis to enable complex and ethically challenging decisions to be made regarding treatment plans.

Additional Contact Details

Gillian Bennett, Andrea Newing & Becky Cullis - Community Specialist Palliative Care CNS' 0300 4225370