Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for nurse passionate about palliative and end of life care to join the hospital specialist palliative care team. The successful candidate will have significant clinical experience in delivering end of life care and be keen to develop a new set of skills as a clinical nurse specialist.  The specialist palliative care team is comprised of both medical staff and nursing specialists who help support holistic excellence in palliative and end of life care for patients and their families across the trust. The band 6 clinical nurse specialist will be able to make informed decisions within their own scope of professional practice to ensure agreed standards, objectives and targets are met. They will also play a part in supporting general palliative care on the wards through demonstration of best practice and education. The service currently operates Monday to Friday 0830 - 1630. However, National Guidance recommends that Specialist Palliative Care provide 7- day access to consultations for patients in need. We are in the process of transferring to a 7-day service and the successful applicant will be expected to work in line with this in the future.

Successful applicants will be required to provide an immunisation and vaccination report, from either their current UK occupational health provider or their UK GP.

Main duties of the job

• Provide specialist palliative and end of life within the remit of the specialist palliative care team.
• Promote comfort and dignity at end of life.
• Recognise each patient as an individual and promote holistic care.
• Promote equity and health equality and fair access to care.
• Support and co-ordinate care, working with external stake holders.
• Supporting education across the trust ensuring staff through the trust are prepared to care for patients with palliative and end of life care need.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Accountable for own actions in accordance with NMC Code of Professional Conduct. Will contribute towards corporate objectives, acting within local, Trust and statutory guidelines and policies always.
• Highly developed communication skills enabling maintenance of high-quality service and ensuring timely management and resolution of unexpected events and situations. Timely referrals to other health professionals required.
• Responsible for identifying and assessing complex clinical and non-clinical issues, implementing resolutions and monitoring /auditing outcomes.
• The post holder will develop advanced clinical skills to assess the physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs of those patients living with a progressive life limiting illness and taking responsibility for all information given and interventions recommended are evidence- based seeking guidance, when necessary, from Band 7 CNS’s.
• Provide help throughout the hospital to clinical teams in identification of patients with palliative care needs through increased visibility and presence on ward or board rounds in care of the elderly / frailty services, cardiac failure services, respiratory services and others. This will lead to earlier identification of patients who need advanced care planning, and reduction in length of stay and investigation of these patients. This would in turn also help to reduce the chance of future ED attendances for these patients.
• Be a visible presence across the trust, supporting patients who may benefit from palliative care interventions that addresses holistic need, promote comfort and dignity and support timely discharge (including rapid discharge).
• Identify and make appropriate referrals to community to ensure patients with complex palliative care need are supported beyond their hospital admission or to avoid unnecessary hospital readmission where this is no longer appropriate or in keeping with patient wishes.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.