Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job summary

We are offering an exciting opportunity for two experienced registered nurses to join our established and evolving specialist palliative care team. The posts available are either full time ( week) or part-time ( / week), though other hours could be considered. The service provides specialist interventions for patients with complex palliative care needs within the Acute hospital setting, working in collaboration with the Community Specialist Palliative Care Team. The service runs across 7-days per week, including Bank Holidays, covering two Acute Hospital sites, providing care across Kirklees and Calderdale.

There will be an opportunity for professional development, especially in key areas, including Advanced Communication Skills, Advance Care Planning, Symptom management and end of life care.

Main duties of the job

The specialist palliative care support nurse will be a key team member in the delivery of specialist palliative nursing services to enable and support timely and effective care and assessment and intervention for patients with specialist palliative care needs in all settings.

They will, as part of the specialist palliative care service, support the specialist nursing service undertaking the assessment and triage of patients, ensuring patients and carers receive high quality care, support and advice.

The post holder will provide advice and support to other members of the multi-professional teams involved in the care of patients with specialist palliative care needs.

To work within the multi-professional team to manage the caseload of patients presenting with specialist palliative care needs.

To undertake an effective nursing assessment and intervention service within CHFT.

The post holder will work flexibly across Acute Hospital and Community settings, supporting the service according to service demand.

About us

We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff andthe local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Duties

Provide specialist palliative care advice to clinical teams.

Undertake comprehensive assessment of patient nursing needs, plan, implement and evaluate care delivery according to changing health care needs.

Demonstrate specialist skills and knowledge.

Use advanced communication skills to impart information, advice and support at all levels.

To provide timely holistic assessment of physical, social, emotional, psychological needs of patients at presentation and other points of contact as appropriate, ensuring early initiation of investigation, referral or management.

Work with clinical teams to facilitate individualised patient care based on principles of evidence-based practice.

Involve patients, their families and carers in the planning and delivery of their care.

Monitor investigation results, initiating further assessment/review of treatment pathway as required.

Liaise with all service areas to ensure timely review/treatment of patients with specialist palliative care needs.

Engage in service development as appropriate.

Provide guidance and support for patients making choices relating to preferred place of care and advance care planning.

Provide symptom management advice.

Utilise Independent prescribing skills to improve patient care delivery, undertaking all necessary clinical governance policies.

Support the Macmillan specialist palliative care nursing team leader to initiate service change.

Liaise with key partners in primary and tertiary care to ensure patients/families receive timely, effective specialist palliative care intervention.

Manage and maintain own clinical caseload, prioritising workload responsibilities and ability to work flexibly to meet the changing needs of patients, escalating significant concerns to the line manager or Senior Clinician.

Managerial Duties

Ensure adherence to all CHFT protocols, policies and directives within service delivery.

Participate in service review and development alongside the specialist palliative care team.

Work with other appropriate professionals to ensure holistic, comprehensive nursing assessment, care planning, care delivery and referral mechanisms are in place to support patients at appropriate points of their care pathway, ensuring advice and information is available to both patients and carers in all care settings.

Work within the specialist palliative care team to ensure effective communication with other appropriate services, patients and carers takes place in a timely and effective way in all care settings.

To ensure that continuity of care for patients and appropriate specialist nursing or other health and social support is available and accessible as appropriate, liaising where appropriate with other care settings and professionals.

Work with the lead cancer nurse and other key cancer care professionals to support and develop cancer nursing and supportive care for cancer patients in Calderdale and Huddersfield.

Work with other disease specific clinical teams to ensure equity of access to specialist palliative care for patients with non-malignant conditions.

To act as a role model for other nurses caring for patients in the specialist palliative care setting.

Support CHFTs aims and objectives around service delivery and achieving targets.

Work closely with the appropriate nurses, matrons/community nurses/Allied Health Care professionals to influence the nursing service and care provision for patients accessing specialist palliative care services.

Under the supervision of the specialist palliative care nursing team leader, review protocols and policies and help develop new ones where appropriate.

Working with the Macmillan cancer information centre manager and Macmillan specialist palliative care nursing team leader where appropriate support the reviews of all patient/carer information and the production of appropriate new information as identified, ensuring these are offered at all appropriate points of the pathway of care in line with local, network and national guidelines and initiatives as appropriate.

Within the framework of clinical governance, work continuously to improve quality and safeguard standards of care, maintaining a patient focused service, promoting and implementing evidence-based practice with measurable standards of care and outcomes. Have involvement in audit projects to measure standards of care. Help to identify and highlight any gaps in the evidence/service provision under the supervision of the Macmillan specialist palliative care nursing team leader.

Attend regular relevant meetings (internal and external) and provide effective channels of communication within the team as required.

Maintain a flexible approach and develop the role according to needs.

Work alongside the Macmillan specialist palliative care nursing team leader to support the division/Trusts annual plan and strategic vision in all care settings.

Participate in service review and development under the guidance of the Macmillan specialist palliative care nursing team leader and cancer management team/community services manager.

Participate in and promote patient and public involvement in specialist palliative care services as appropriate.

Work towards supporting the Trusts cost efficiency programme by correct use of resources and identifying areas for further improvement.

Professional Duties

Act as a role model for quality nursing care at all times, promoting the need for effective evidence based interventions and compassionate care

.Act as patient advocate at all points of the care pathway.

Work within the NMC Code of Conduct at all times.

Adhere to national, local and professional standards, guidance and directives relevant to their sphere of practice.

Managing Self

Participate in regular supervision.

Attend all mandatory training.

Participate annually identifying, developing and agreeing your own development plan with your Line Manager using the Trust Appraisal.

Comply with all Trust policies, procedures and protocols.

Carry out duties with due regard to the Trusts Equal Opportunity Policy.

Seek advice and support from Line Manager whenever necessary.

Maintain professional conduct including appearance at all times.

Ensure maintenance of Professional Registration.

This job description is an outline only and is not definitive or restrictive in any way. It will be regularly reviewed and may be amended in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING

Essential

RGN Degree level studies, or willing to work towards a relevant Masters level degree

Desirable

Teaching qualification Post Grad qualification in oncology/palliative care Independent prescribing qualification Masters level degree

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

Essential

Community and Acute Hospital experience Recent experience of caring for patients with cancer/ palliative care /end of life needs Evidence of skills in assessment and management of patients with palliative care needs. Ability to work independently (as loan worker) and as part of a team

Desirable

Demonstrate evidence of training around treatment/support for specialist palliative care patients Experience in service development/change management. Ability to demonstrate understanding of audit, including implementation of findings and outcome reviews

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)

Essential

Good communication skills Knowledge and skills in cancer/palliative care nursing and symptom management. IT skills

Desirable

Advanced communication skills trained Ability to coordinate caseloads and other workload demands

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