Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced, compassionate and highly motivated Band 7 Dementia Specialist Nurse to join Harrow Older People’s Mental Health Services.

This is a senior clinical role working across the Harrow Memory Service, Older People’s Community Mental Health Team, primary care and the wider health and care system. The post holder will help improve the quality and coordination of care provided to people living with dementia, their carers and families.

The successful candidate will provide specialist assessment, advice, care planning and clinical leadership for people with complex mental health, physical health and social care needs. They will work across organisational and professional boundaries to reduce fragmentation, support earlier intervention and provide a consistent point of specialist clinical advice.

The role combines autonomous clinical practice with education, consultation, partnership working, quality improvement and service development.

We welcome applications from registered nurses who can demonstrate the specialist dementia knowledge, clinical competence and leadership capability required for this Band 7 role. Applicants will be assessed on their relevant skills, experience and demonstrated outcomes rather than a specified number of years in practice.

Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process and in employment.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will:

• Undertake person-centred assessments for people referred with suspected dementia or cognitive impairment.
• Gather and interpret clinical history, collateral information and cognitive assessments.
• Consider mental and physical health, medication, functional ability, risk and psychosocial factors affecting cognition.
• Use advanced clinical reasoning to formulate findings and contribute to multidisciplinary diagnostic decisions.
• Identify where further investigation, specialist opinion or onward referral is required.
• Assess capacity, consent, risk and safeguarding concerns and respond appropriately.
• Communicate findings and recommendations sensitively to the person, carers, families and professionals.
• Provide specialist advice to the Harrow Memory Service, Older People’s Mental Health Services, GPs, Primary Care Networks and partners.
• Work collaboratively with health and social care professionals to support effective assessment pathways.
• Provide teaching, supervision and specialist advice to strengthen dementia assessment practice.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary discussions, service development, audit and quality improvement.
• Promote lawful, inclusive, least-restrictive, person-centred practice.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical records in line with professional and organisational requirements.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Specialist assessment and clinical practice

• Undertake comprehensive, person-centred specialist assessments for people referred to the service with suspected dementia or cognitive impairment.
• Obtain a comprehensive clinical history and relevant collateral information to support the assessment process.
• Undertake and interpret appropriate cognitive assessment tools within their professional competence.
• Assess the person's mental health, physical health, medication, functional ability, risk, social circumstances and other factors that may contribute to their cognitive presentation.
• Apply advanced clinical reasoning to integrate information from different sources and contribute to a clear clinical formulation.
• Identify where further investigations, assessment or specialist opinion may be required to support diagnostic decision-making.
• Exercise a high degree of professional autonomy whilst working within professional competence and the agreed Memory Service pathway.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary discussion and diagnostic formulation.
• Recognise presentations in which cognitive symptoms may be influenced by other mental or physical health conditions and arrange or recommend appropriate onward assessment.
• Assess capacity and consent as appropriate and apply the principles of the Mental Capacity Act throughout the assessment process.
• Identify and respond appropriately to clinical risk and safeguarding concerns arising during assessment.
• Ensure assessment considers the person's communication requirements, culture, background, individual circumstances and preferences.
• Communicate complex and potentially sensitive assessment findings in a clear, compassionate and accessible way.
• Produce high-quality clinical documentation detailing the assessment, formulation and recommendations.
• Communicate relevant findings and recommendations to GPs and other professionals involved in the person's care.

Multidisciplinary and partnership working

• Work closely with colleagues within the Harrow Memory Service and Older People’s Mental Health Services.
• Contribute specialist nursing expertise to multidisciplinary diagnostic discussions.
• Work collaboratively with GPs, primary care and other health and social care professionals as required during the assessment process.
• Seek appropriate professional or specialist opinion where complexity falls outside the post holder's scope of practice.
• Make recommendations or appropriate onward referrals where needs are identified that sit outside the Memory Service assessment pathway.
• Provide specialist dementia and cognitive assessment advice to colleagues and partner services.
• Promote effective communication between services involved in the person's assessment.

Clinical leadership and education

• Provide visible specialist clinical leadership in dementia and cognitive assessment.
• Act as a source of specialist knowledge and professional advice.
• Support colleagues with complex assessments and clinical decision-making.
• Role model compassionate, inclusive, person-centred and evidence-based practice.
• Contribute to the development of clinical standards, assessment pathways and guidance.
• Support consistent and evidence-based approaches to cognitive assessment.
• Provide teaching and educational support relating to dementia, cognitive impairment and assessment.
• Contribute to supervision, reflective practice and development of colleagues where appropriate.

Quality improvement and professional responsibilities

• Contribute to audit, service evaluation and quality-improvement work relating to the Memory Service and dementia assessment pathway.
• Support implementation of evidence-based practice and relevant NICE guidance.
• Contribute to development and review of clinical pathways, standards and procedures.
• Maintain professional competence through continuing professional development, supervision and reflective practice.
• Maintain current NMC registration and practise in accordance with the NMC Code.
• Comply with relevant Trust policies and professional requirements, including safeguarding, information governance, risk management and health and safety.
• Promote dignity, equality, inclusion and respect in all aspects of practice.
• Practise in accordance with relevant legislation, including the Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act.

Person specification: desirable

I would specifically include:

Desirable

• Registered Non-Medical Prescriber (V300) or equivalent prescribing qualification.
• Advanced clinical assessment qualification or evidence of equivalent advanced clinical assessment competence.
• Experience undertaking specialist cognitive assessment within a Memory Service or comparable clinical setting.
• Experience contributing to multidisciplinary diagnostic formulation and decision-making.
• Experience delivering education or training relating to dementia and cognitive impairment.
• Evidence of involvement in audit, quality improvement or service development.

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.