Headache Specialist Nurse

Job overview

• Employed as a Senior Specialist Nurse, working at an enhanced level of practice or towards advanced practice, completing a master’s degree (Level 7) programme or other specialist service training curriculum, in line with their primary professional regulatory body requirements.
• Fulfilling the expectations and capabilities of a Senior Specialist Nurse will be achieved through workplace-based training and assessments and in clinical practice, with support through clinical supervision in own service/speciality area.
• The Senior Specialist Nurse will be supported in their professional development and wellbeing, working at the level of enhanced practice, or towards advanced practice, through achievement of the academic requirements and evidence of workplace-based capabilities and competence within their service/speciality.
• The Senior Specialist Nurse will be expected to demonstrate and develop proficiency across the four pillars of practice, namely Clinical, Leadership and Management, Education and Research appropriate to their level of practice, and their scope of professional practice.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will be the lead specialist nurse for headache, responsible for the management and development of their specialist service and complement the role of the consultant neurologist by providing a quality service for a caseload of patients with headache disorders.
• The post holder will practice autonomously as a core member of the multi-disciplinary team, providing strong, visible leadership to support a safe and effective, responsive clinical service for people suffering with Headaches / Migraines. This patient centred service is delivered through clinics, home appointments, telephone and e-mail.
• The post holder will develop and deliver a programme of practice development for staff in the Health Board, General practitioners and students focusing on headache diagnosis and management guidelines.
• The post holders own practice should be developed to an advanced level, whereby they can directly or indirectly influence all aspects of care and management of patients within the speciality. This will include the diagnosis, independently of the consultant neurologist, simple headache disorders. Patients with complex headaches, abnormal clinical signs, red flags or unusual features will be discussed by the Clinical Nurse Specialist for Headaches (CNS) with the consultant neurologist and diagnosis and management plans for the headache disorder will be jointly agreed.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to job description documents for further details.

• This job description is neither definitive nor exhaustive. It may be reviewed in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the post holder. This job description is to be read in conjunction with all current Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust policies, procedures & guidelines.

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.