Epilepsy Nurse Specialist

Job overview

• To provide active support to adults with learning disabilities and epilepsy in order to have their specific health needs met and to access secondary and tertiary services where appropriate.  Be professionally and managerially responsible for the delivery and ongoing development of the Epilepsy Nurse Service in Dudley Community Learning Disability Specialist Health Services To provide high quality professional and clinical care, support and education to adults with learning disabilities and epilepsy to their families and paid carers. This will be achieved through the use of expert communication skills, specialist knowledge, planned assessment and intervention relevant to the persons presenting needs.  The post holder will actively engage with service users, families, paid carers and a range of health care professionals in primary, secondary and tertiary care services.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will work in a range of settings in partnership with service users, carers, GP practices, Consultant Psychiatrists, neurology, primary healthcare teams and secondary and tertiary healthcare professionals.  Within the role, they will contribute to the provision of training, guidance and support in relation to health improvement, health promotion and epilepsy management. They will have a good understanding of epilepsy and seizures, medication used to manage epilepsy, the Mental Capacity Act and the application of the law in supporting capacity assessments and best interest decisions.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Key Requirements
• To provide information on investigations, diagnosis, treatment, concordance and risk in a sensitive manner.
• To support people with learning disabilities to attend epilepsy reviews and consultations as necessary. This may mean a variation in core hours.
• To be responsible for the development of individualised risk assessments and epilepsy management protocols, regular reviews and evaluation. This will include a range of interventions in conjunction with individuals, their families, paid carers and other professionals.
• Work as an autonomous practitioner with own clinical caseload and be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of own work.
• Demonstrate specialist epilepsy knowledge and skills through clinical practice. Care delivery should be evidence based and reflect National standards and guidelines.
• To adhere to the NMC ‘Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives’
• To deliver training and development to health professionals, social care, statutory and voluntary organisations
• To maintain contemporaneous records using appropriate electronic systems.
• To actively participate in personal, team and service development.
• To make recommendations to minimise specific risks posed by the diagnosis of epilepsy.
• To be working towards ‘expert nurse’ level of the Learning Disability Epilepsy Nurse Specialist Framework.
• To undertake the Non-Medical Prescribing Qualification (V300)