Headache - Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job overview

Headache and Migraine are common neurological conditions affecting around 6 million people in England. It is estimated that there are 190,000 migraine attacks experienced every day in England, with prevalence reported to be 5–25% in women and 2–10% in men.

As a member of the Neurology headache multidisciplinary team, the post holder will work as an autonomous practitioner, effectively co-ordinating and managing a caseload of patients ensuring a high standard of evidenced based practice within this specialist area. The post holder will also assist in education, leadership activities, research and audit being carried out within the Headache service.

Main duties of the job

Work autonomously in partnership with individuals, families, and carers

• Practice in compliance with the NMC and the code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives To work within locally agreed clinical practice scope of practice Undertake interventional procedures such as cranial nerve blocks Botulinum toxin injections, infusions for chronic migraine and other headache conditions To successfully complete relevant work-based assessments and clinical competencies relevant to role. Critically assess and address own learning needs, negotiating personal development plan that reflects the breadth of on-going professional development across the four pillars of advanced clinical practice. Engage in self-directed learning, critically reflecting to maximise clinical skills and knowledge. Develop a special interest within certain areas to allow the sharing of clinical knowledge and expertise. Contribute to the development of multidisciplinary research and clinical audit, implementing effective and evidence-based practice Assist with assessing the effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking and formal evaluation. Participate in the maintenance of quality governance systems and processes across the organisation and its activities. Full details of the role’s responsibilities and duties are outlined in the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Work autonomously in partnership with individuals, families, and carers

Use expertise and decision-making skills to inform clinical reasoning approaches

Full details of the role’s responsibilities and duties are outlined in the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

• Practice in compliance with the NMC and the code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives To work within locally agreed clinical practice scope of practice Undertake interventional procedures such as cranial nerve blocks Botulinum toxin injections, infusions for chronic migraine and other headache conditions To successfully complete relevant work-based assessments and clinical competencies relevant to role. Critically assess and address own learning needs, negotiating personal development plan that reflects the breadth of on-going professional development across the four pillars of advanced clinical practice. Engage in self-directed learning, critically reflecting to maximise clinical skills and knowledge. Develop a special interest within certain areas to allow the sharing of clinical knowledge and expertise. Contribute to the development of multidisciplinary research and clinical audit, implementing effective and evidence-based practice Assist with assessing the effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking and formal evaluation. Participate in the maintenance of quality governance systems and processes across the organisation and its activities. In partnership with other clinical teams, collaborate on improving the quality of health care responding to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate. Participate in the implementation of changes within the Headache team and Neurosciences.