Hospice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Hospice Nurse

Job Purpose

Plan and deliver patient-centred care, working closely with patients and their families.

Once trained, act as the shift coordinator, overseeing high-quality team nursing care and coordinating wider team care that puts patients' at the heart of what we do.

Act as the key worker for a designated caseload, showing nursing leadership by providing care as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Intervention

1. Places quality at the centre of care by providing evidence-based, individualised, and personalised support through holistic needs assessment, risk assessments, care planning, and evaluation of all care interventions. Follows agreed care and support plans and actively integrates theory and practice into daily work.

2. Acts as a Key Worker for a clinical caseload, working proactively to manage care and provide easy access to ongoing support. Assesses patients' information needs and provides relevant information through various means. Helps patients understand and evaluate complex information, enabling them to make informed decisions about their future.

3. Fosters self-management by assessing patients' ability to self-manage, providing education, and guiding those who require support in managing their condition.

4. Demonstrates excellent communication skills and expertise in hospice care, including the ability to manage emotional distress for patients and their loved ones when needed.

5. Provides clinical expertise, advice, and support across service boundaries, referring to other professionals and signposting to relevant agencies as necessary.

6. Contributes to nursing-led service development, promoting excellence in care.

7. Promotes clinical excellence through innovation, audit, evaluation, and research.

8. Maintains accurate patient records.

Leadership and people management:

1. Effectively allocates work and maintains responsibility for delegated tasks.

2. Demonstrates leadership through clinical expertise, delivering high-quality, person-centred care and using a co-creating care approach with patients and their families affected by life-limiting illnesses.

3. Contributes to the education and training of other healthcare professionals involved in patient care.

4. Supports the development and promotion of the hospice, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care.

5. Encourages patient and community involvement within the practice setting.

6. Collects accurate and comprehensive data to provide evidence of activity, outcomes, and quality.

7. Takes professional responsibility for ensuring effective communication between all service providers across the care pathway.

8. Actively participates in multi-professional meetings, acting as a patient advocate and representing nursing views.

9. Ensures that patients and their families are aware of the full range of resources and services available through the hospice.

10. Develops skills in conflict resolution and negotiation to handle difficult or challenging situations.

11. Supports the development of patient-focused education, including training to manage treatment side effects effectively.

12. Acts as a mentor or preceptor, guiding new staff members and students.

Innovation:

1. Develops new skills in response to emerging knowledge and techniques.

2. Works across professional boundaries, employing creative reasoning, positivity and problem-solving.

3. Supports and manages change.

Professional Development

1. Acquires and applies clinical, technical, and evaluation skills through a broad and in-depth knowledge base.

2. Utilises clinical expertise, clinical judgement, creative thinking, and experience to enhance patient care, seeking support from others when necessary.

3. Assesses nursing practice and proposes improvements as required, drawing on patient experiences to drive change.

4. Takes personal responsibility for ongoing learning and development through reflective practice, self-appraisal, and actively engages with the learning and development opportunities provided by the hospice.

Special Features of the job

Working autonomously within a team, you'll deliver patient-centred and holistic care. Our service operates 24/7, 365 days a year, with clinical roles rostered to ensure round-the-clock coverage. Although rosters are planned in advance, there may be times when you'll need to adjust your scheduled rota at short notice. If this is the case, we can make individual arrangements, provided they align with our Flexible Working Policy and are approved by the Director responsible for the service.

In necessary circumstances, we may need to make last-minute changes to shifts to maintain high-quality, safe patient care. We'd initially ask for your cooperation, only resorting to compulsory changes if necessary.

Personal Development

We warmly encourage all staff and volunteers at the Hospice to play an active role in identifying and fulfilling their development needs related to their jobs. We aim to support you through various processes, such as regular one-on-one meetings with your Line Managers or senior colleagues, plus annual appraisal and development reviews.

Every employee benefits from an annual appraisal, and to make the most of this opportunity, it's important to engage fully in the review and collaborate with your Line Manager on your individual, team, and organisational objectives.

Additionally, we kindly ask each employee to participate in all relevant mandatory and statutory training, as required by our organisation and /or their professional bodies.

Governance

Support the organisation in facilitating:

- Reviewing and engaging in audits

- Developing and implementing policies and guidelines, as well as safe operating procedures, in line with Hospice procedures

- Submitting and reflecting on good practice and adverse events

General

Lead and work from a place of positivity and solution-focused

Act as a charity ambassador and encourage others to do the same.

Collaborate closely with colleagues in Fundraising and Marketing to promote the hospice's charitable activities and participate in fundraising as needed.

Ensure the team understands the hospice's structure, values, and purpose, and has opportunities to contribute to its development.

Maintain confidentiality regarding staff, volunteer, and client records, as well as privileged information about the charity's services, patients, staff, and volunteers.

Enhance the hospice's reputation within the community and among private, statutory, and voluntary sector agencies.

Perform any other duties as reasonably required.

All staff must be supportive of and able to promote the philosophy and concept of hospice care.

The hospice provides staff support, and employees are expected to take responsibility for accessing and providing suitable support to ensure they can deliver professional care.

The above is indicative of the current responsibilities of the post which may change from time to time in consultation with the post holder in line with the service need.

Throughout your time with us we will conduct ongoing employment checks and performance reviews relevant to your role, for example professional registration checks, DBS, appraisals and regular contact meetings.

1. Terms and Conditions

Reports to: Senior Team Nurse or Nursing Manager

Responsible for: No line Manager Responsibilities

Location: North Yorkshire Hospice Care sites

NHS Equivalent: Band 5 (top)

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• 1. Registered Nurse with NMC
• 2. Nursing Degree or suitable alternative
• 3.Have or be prepared to work towards practice assessors qualification
• 4.Current Practical experience of Nursing in a clinical setting
• 5.Ability to plan, deliver, and evaluate nursing care
• 6.Ability to assess complex patient needs and escalate appropriately if required
• 7.A good level of understanding and interest in Palliative Care and End of Life Care
• 8. Excellent Communication skills
• 9. Excellent interpersonal skills
• 10.Excellent record keeping skills and documentation
• 11.IT literate with the ability to use Microsoft and Outlook as a minimum
• 12. Understanding of Infection Control

Desirable

• 1.European Palliative Care Certificate or specific palliative care post graduate learning
• 2.Demonstrable experience of leading the care for patients at end of life or requiring symptom control
• 3.Understanding of Clinical Audit

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Saint Michaels Hospice

Address

Crimple House

Hornbeam Park Avenue

Harrogate

HG2 8NA

Employer's website

https://saintmichaelshospice.current-vacancies.com/Careers/StMichaels-1955/?cid=1955 (Opens in a new tab)