Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job summary

We are looking for someone who has experience in palliative and working in a community environment. To deliver high quality specialist palliative nursing care in community settings. Demonstrating clinical excellence and the highest standards of nursing practice Be part of a compassionate team dedicated to making a meaningful difference in patients' lives. Apply today to bring your expertise to our community palliative care team.

Main duties of the job

You will need: Effective communication and interpersonal skillsPost registration experience including substantial experience within palliative care, or relevant experienceLead in symptom management, ensuring optimal patient comfort and quality of life.Proven leadership skillsAbility to work independently and as part of multi-professional team and on own initiative.

About us

St Joseph's Hospice was founded in 1905 by the Religious Sisters of Charity and as such it has a rich, Catholic heritage which informs our work today: to support and welcome those in need, from all different cultures, religions and backgrounds. We provide high quality specialist palliative care for patients with cancer and other life-threatening conditions across East and North London. We have a large team of clinical staff who work across community, in-patient and out-patient services delivering individualised, responsive and holistic support to patients and their families/carers. Why work for us? Golden Hello Payments of £500 & £1000 made after probation and 18 months.27 days holiday plus public holidays, increasing up to 33 days with serviceSubsidised café and early access to retail sale eventsSeason ticket/Welfare loansContinuation of NHS Pension Scheme or an excellent salary-exchange pension scheme.Santander cycles discount and cycle to work schemeHealth Cash Plan and access to the EAP services

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

Providehigh quality community specialist palliative care nursing services to patientsand their families within the boroughs that the hospice serves

Working as an integrated team of nurses, you willcontribute to the overall care of patient and families referred to St Josephswithin the community setting.Specialising in the advisory and Care Coordinator component of thissupport you will have shared clinical responsibility for the patients within adefined area and within the team as a whole

As a team member you will contribute to a positivesupportive working environment with an emphasis on team work andcooperation. You will participate in arota system providing a 7 day a week face to face and telephone service forpatients and their families. This may include visiting out of hours inexceptional circumstances

Providea flexible role within and between teams to cover leave, sickness and emergenciesand to provide general supervision to band 6 nurses

Identify opportunities for clinical audit and researchand undertake these activities within the research governance framework of thehospice

It is anticipated that thework plan will be 10% supervision, 80% clinical,clinical management, and 10% Education and Teaching.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

St. Josephs Hospice is a charity established in 1905 by the ReligiousSisters of Charity to offer patients diagnosed with a life limiting illness arange of care and professional advisory services. It currently provides high quality palliativeand end of life care to a significant and growing number of people living inEast London and beyond. It employs alarge team of clinical staff, including medical practitioners who work acrosscommunity, in-patient and out-patient services delivering individualised,responsive and holistic support to patients and their families/carers.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

You will work closely with a range of professionalswithin the hospice and external partners to identify and support expert care topatients and their families within the boroughs. You will be expected to build closeand effective working relationships with professionals providing end of lifecare within the boroughs.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership and managerial

The Clinical Nurse Specialist will oversee thecommunity nursing service for a defined area, this included delegating tasks toand coordinating the work of the Band 6 Associated Nurse Specialist to ensureall patients in your area review timely intervention, this includes theprovision of face to face visits.

Assist the Head of Community Palliative Care withtranslating service strategy into effective operational functionality andobjectives

Provide professional and clinical nursing leadershipto other Palliative Care Nurse Practitioners and grades of staff, acting as apoint of expertise, providing advice and support, this include providingmanagement and clinical supervision.

Take management responsibility for other grades ofstaff and participate in the performance management cycle including undertakingappraisals

Input into workforce planning process andmaintaining effective use of resources, rota and rotation of staff

Participate in multi-professional meetings, actingas a patient advocate and representing nursing

Attend appropriate patient related and teammeetings

Participate in service development initiatives asappropriate and instigate and manage change within a complex environment

Work with the Head of Community Palliative Care todevelop St Josephs policies and processes and ensure team compliance

Responsible for assurance of standards and clinicalgovernance, standard setting and audit.

Clinical

As Care Coordinator participate in First Contactassessment and decision- making, included attendance at the first contactmeeting

Responsible for the continued co-ordination of thecontent and delivery of your allocated patient's care plan, and assure that thepatient is getting the right service from St Josephs. In times of absence actas coordinator to ensure that all patients in your area receive the careneeded.

Undertake patient assessments to an advanced level,using appropriate tools

Be able to undertake nurse prescribing

In liaison with other Nurse Practitioners, ensurethe overall quality and provision of nursing care of patients and familiesreferred to St Josephs in the community setting and their needs are met

Promote the principles and practice of palliativecare as an extension of the hospice into the community

Work across a range ofsettings, including community visits home/care home/community hospitals),telephone conversations and patients in outpatient services

Assess the needs of patients and their carers andidentify their respective physical, psychological, social, cultural andspiritual needs

Work within a team framework, collaborating withcolleagues and members of other disciplines

Use a proactive and sensitive approach withpatients and relatives to enable involvement in advance care planning

Assess peoples information needs and providerelevant information to meet those needs using resources within the hospice

Offer bereavement support to carers incollaboration with the bereavement team, or refer them onto the appropriateservice

Provide appropriate specialist nursinginterventions

Participate in the out of hours rota to providetelephone advice and exceptional visits if indicated

Contribute to patient management by attending GPMDT meetings, care home MDT, District Nurse Forums, hospital and other practicebased meetings

Liaise and communicate with community, nursing homeand hospital staff in order to raise awareness and promote Hospice services

Ensure that all relevant informationis documented and recorded on the appropriate systems

Foster positive working relations with the PrimaryHealthcare professionals and with other health and social care professionals inthe delivery of community based palliative care.

Service Development

Provide input to service development initiativesusing the appropriate evidence

Ensure systems are in place to ensure continuousimprovement, quality assurance and clinical governance

Promote and engage staff in new ways of working -such as the use of technology and working off site

Develop and review departmental policies andprocesses and ensure team compliance.

Produce and maintain statistical information asrequired, particularly for workforce planning, audit and funding purposes

Keep abreast of currentadvances in nursing practice and research

Together with the Head ofCommunity Palliative Care, initiate, promote and participate in nursing and inter-disciplinaryaudit projects

Together with the Head ofCommunity Palliative Care, take a key role in the hospice Clinical Governanceframework

Work across professionalboundaries using creative reasoning and problem solving.

Education and Training

Take responsibility forattending and ensure others attendance at mandatory and hospice compulsorytraining and in-house courses in line with organisational policy and currentlegislation

Actively participate in, andcontribute to the on-going educational programme of the Hospice

Attend and activelyparticipate in the identified CPD opportunities provided

Proactively maintainappropriate level of clinical competence as identified within the St JosephsCompetencies

Identify training andeducation needs in line with service provision with Head of the CommunityPalliative Care Team.

Assist in orientation programmesfor new members of staff

Act as a mentor and supervisorfor developing staff under the direction of the Head of Community PalliativeCare Team.

Initiate and participate inresearch projects as required. To undertake regular audit to facilitate the provisionof high quality services

Take personal responsibilityfor life-long learning, self -development and reflection.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Identify own learning and development needs inorder to meet the key requirements of the post

Take responsibility for linking own developmentneeds with the Hospice appraisal and objective setting process

Take responsibility for own continuing developmentby undertaking specific areas of work/projects to develop new skills.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Comply with and promote St Josephs Hospice EqualOpportunity Policy and avoid any behaviour which discriminates againstcolleagues, potential employees, patients/clients or their families on thegrounds of sex, marital status, race, age, belief, colour, nationality, ethnicor national origins, religion, disability, creed, class, gender or sexualorientation.

Person Specification

General Requirements

Essential

Please refer to job description above

Desirable

Please refer to job description above

---