Job summary
Join a dynamic team delivering outstanding palliative care.
We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a Band 7 Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist (or Band 6 development position) to join our Community Nursing Service, working across both the Hospice Inpatient Nurse Led Beds and CNS Response
About Us
Our progressive and dynamic team is at the forefront of delivering exceptional palliative care. We are committed to continual improvement and outstanding patient outcomes.
As a Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist, you will:
Utilise your clinical palliative care knowledge and experience to provide high-quality care.
Demonstrate confident decision-making skills and a passion for ongoing improvement.
Support and develop more junior staff members
Work within the CNS Response / Nurse Led Beds Team, led by an Advanced Practitioner, to:
Manage patients admitted to the nurse led beds for end of life care
Triage the majority of urgent referrals
Support patients requiring urgent assistance
Work 7.5 hour days, covering 7 days a week
Main duties of the job
The Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist is an expert in ensuring high quality palliative care is
delivered to patients and their families. They work independently and as part of the wider
healthcare team, having specific responsibility for those referred to CNS Response and
Nurse Led Bed Services, leading on the care of patients admitted into the nurse led beds
on the inpatient unit.
Clinical leadership role supporting the wider team to work efficiently and
effectively in the delivery of high quality and progressive palliative care in line
with the Hospice strategy and policies. To offer the patient and families the
skills of a clinical nurse specialist in symptom control, social, emotional and
spiritual care.
Independent Prescriber
Offer advice, support and education to Hospice Teams, Primary and
Community Healthcare staff as part of a multiprofessional team.
To work using a multiprofessional approach to care.
Develops collaborative working relationships with other hospice teams and the
wider community services.
Work flexibly, including at weekends, to further develop the NLB service into a 7
day per week service
About us
We've spent over 40 years helping people die in peace, and with dignity. Combining compassion with clinical expertise, we provide patients with the best possible care at the end of their lives.
Were here for the people around our patients too those closest to them. Before, during and after a bereavement, we provide support that's remembered forever.
We think its that unforgettable support that inspires people to give back to St Peters. To fundraise for us. Donate. Volunteer. Were not exaggerating when we say that we couldn't do what we do without our wonderful supporters. We really cant thank them enough.
We want to help many more people to die well. And were doing this by teaching others. As a centre of educational excellence, we share our skills with other health professionals, helping the NHS and care homes to provide better end-of-life care.
Were here for all, for free, forever.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical practice
1. Acts as a clinical resource for less experienced/ non-prescribing colleagues
2. Manage and coordinate the day-to-day running of the team held clinical caseload
of patients in the inpatient unit nurse led beds and patients referred to the CNS
Response Team
3. Take and analyse a clinical history in a relevant, succinct and logical manner
4. Independently assess the patients needs, identify their priorities and work with the
patient and family towards achieving them
5. Use physical assessment and clinical reasoning skills as part of patient assessment
and to support clinical advice, professional communication and documentation.
6. Perform Independent Prescribing within area of competence once registered as an
Independent Prescriber with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and practice
according to local policy.
7. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the options for achieving control of symptoms
and ability to advise the primary and community health care teams
8. Demonstrate an ability to explore the personal resources of families/carers in order
to facilitate, where possible, that patients are cared for in the place of their choice
9. Support and coach carers at home in managing a relative whose condition is
deteriorating
10. Recognise the impact of caring for dying patients on yourself, internal and external
colleagues and offer / seek support
11. Safely administer medication in the community
12. Recognise and manage/ appropriately escalate palliative care and oncological
emergencies
13. Bring closure to the nurse-patient relationship and provide for a safe transition to
another care provider as appropriate
14. Support palliative care meeting work and attend and present at MDT meetings
Communication KSF 3
Can develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or
in difficult situations
1. Role model best practice and provide feedback to others on their communication.
2. Maintain high standards of integrity when communicating with patients, their families
and the wider communities
3. Manage complex communication issues with patients and families as a lone worker
in the community
4. Structure an interview using appropriate questioning, avoid jargon, using familiar
language, at patients own pace
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the need to involve patients and carers in decision
making, offering them informed choices, respecting their views
6. Break bad news in steps appropriate to the understanding of the individual and be
able to support distress and have discussions around prognosis and future care
options
7. Demonstrate skill and sensitivity when working with families facing loss
8. Use the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment
(ReSPECT plus) process and form to support the documentation and
communication of the patients preferences and clinical recommendations for
emergency care and treatment
9. Record concisely, accurately, confidentially and legibly the appropriate elements of
the history, results of investigations, problems identified and management plan
10. Manage dissatisfied patients/relatives, anticipating potential problems and managing
expectations.
11. Investigate and respond to complaints, incidents and concerns.
Personal and People Development KSF 3
Develop oneself and others in area of practice
1. Develop and deliver the Palliative Care Nurse Specialist role development
programme for Hospice Community Nursing
2. Support the development of community and inpatient unit teams
3. Identify development needs of others
4. Enable opportunities for others to apply their developing knowledge and skills in
both community and In-patient roles
5. Provide learning and development opportunities to others including clinical
placements
6. Lead on evaluating the effectiveness of others learning and development
7. Take responsibility for identifying and meeting own development needs
8. Generate and use appropriate learning opportunities and apply own learning to
development of practice
9. Assess how well the previous years objectives were met and help set new ones for
the year ahead
10. Apply evidence to patient care
11. Use strategies to develop own resilience
12. Practice effectively by reflecting to support practice improvement, this maybe with
colleagues and/or by engaging with clinical supervision
13. Become a Designated Prescribing Supervisor (DPS) after practising as an
Independent Prescriber for at least one year
14. Become a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) after practising as an
Independent Prescriber for at least three years and having carried out the DPS role
Health Safety and Security KSF 3
Promote, monitor and maintain best practice in health, safety and security including
issues specific to lone working
1. Identify and manage risk at work and support others to do the same
2. Make sure others work in a way that complies with legislation and hospice
policies and procedures on health, safety and risk management
3. Carry out and support others to carry out risk assessments
4. Checks work area to make sure it is free from risks and conforms to legislation
and hospice policies and procedures on health, safety and risk management
5. Take the appropriate action when risk is identified
6. Identify and action ways of improving health, safety and security
Service Improvement KSF 3
Appraise, interpret and apply suggestions, recommendations and directives to
improve services
1. Identify and evaluate potential improvements to the service
2. Discuss improvement ideas with appropriate people and agrees a prioritised
plan of implementation to take forward agreed improvements
3. Contribute positively to service development and improvement.
4. Support and work with others to help them understand the need for change and
to adapt to it
5. Enable and encourage others to suggest change, challenge tradition and share
good practice with other areas of the trust
6. Evaluate the changes made and suggests further improvements where needed
7. Write and give feedback on draft policies and procedures
Governance, Quality and Improving Clinical Practice KSF 3
Contribute to improving quality
1. Promote quality approaches making others aware of the impact of quality
2. Understand own role, its scope and how this may change over time in a
developing organisation
3. Review effectiveness of own team and helps and enables others to work as a
team
4. Prioritise own workload and manage own time in a manner that maintains and
promotes high quality
5. Evaluate the quality of own and others work and raise quality issues and
related risks with the appropriate people
6. Support changes in own area that improves the quality of systems and
processes
7. Take appropriate action when there is a persistent problem with quality
8. Contribute to, support and develop audit and research projects.
9. Contribute to the ongoing appraisal, evaluation and development of the
Response and NLB services.
Equality and diversity KSF 3
Promote equality and value diversity
1. Interpret equality, diversity and rights in accordance with legislation, policies,
procedures and good practice
2. Actively act as a role model in own behaviour and fosters a non-discriminatory
culture
3. Promote equality and diversity in own area and ensures policies are adhered to
4. Manage people and apply internal processes in a fair and equal way
Leadership and management KSF 2
Manage a small team and lead by example
1. Take ownership and be prepared to be held accountable
2. Role model ethical behaviour and Hospice values
3. Maximise current opportunities to make improvements
4. Develop and communicate standards and expected levels of performance
5. Delegate effectively and develops team members
6. Support the evaluation of strategic aims in own delivery area
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical practice
1. Acts as a clinical resource for less experienced/ non-prescribing colleagues
2. Manage and coordinate the day-to-day running of the team held clinical caseload
of patients in the inpatient unit nurse led beds and patients referred to the CNS
Response Team
3. Take and analyse a clinical history in a relevant, succinct and logical manner
4. Independently assess the patients needs, identify their priorities and work with the
patient and family towards achieving them
5. Use physical assessment and clinical reasoning skills as part of patient assessment
and to support clinical advice, professional communication and documentation.
6. Perform Independent Prescribing within area of competence once registered as an
Independent Prescriber with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and practice
according to local policy.
7. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the options for achieving control of symptoms
and ability to advise the primary and community health care teams
8. Demonstrate an ability to explore the personal resources of families/carers in order
to facilitate, where possible, that patients are cared for in the place of their choice
9. Support and coach carers at home in managing a relative whose condition is
deteriorating
10. Recognise the impact of caring for dying patients on yourself, internal and external
colleagues and offer / seek support
11. Safely administer medication in the community
12. Recognise and manage/ appropriately escalate palliative care and oncological
emergencies
13. Bring closure to the nurse-patient relationship and provide for a safe transition to
another care provider as appropriate
14. Support palliative care meeting work and attend and present at MDT meetings
Communication KSF 3
Can develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or
in difficult situations
1. Role model best practice and provide feedback to others on their communication.
2. Maintain high standards of integrity when communicating with patients, their families
and the wider communities
3. Manage complex communication issues with patients and families as a lone worker
in the community
4. Structure an interview using appropriate questioning, avoid jargon, using familiar
language, at patients own pace
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the need to involve patients and carers in decision
making, offering them informed choices, respecting their views
6. Break bad news in steps appropriate to the understanding of the individual and be
able to support distress and have discussions around prognosis and future care
options
7. Demonstrate skill and sensitivity when working with families facing loss
8. Use the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment
(ReSPECT plus) process and form to support the documentation and
communication of the patients preferences and clinical recommendations for
emergency care and treatment
9. Record concisely, accurately, confidentially and legibly the appropriate elements of
the history, results of investigations, problems identified and management plan
10. Manage dissatisfied patients/relatives, anticipating potential problems and managing
expectations.
11. Investigate and respond to complaints, incidents and concerns.
Personal and People Development KSF 3
Develop oneself and others in area of practice
1. Develop and deliver the Palliative Care Nurse Specialist role development
programme for Hospice Community Nursing
2. Support the development of community and inpatient unit teams
3. Identify development needs of others
4. Enable opportunities for others to apply their developing knowledge and skills in
both community and In-patient roles
5. Provide learning and development opportunities to others including clinical
placements
6. Lead on evaluating the effectiveness of others learning and development
7. Take responsibility for identifying and meeting own development needs
8. Generate and use appropriate learning opportunities and apply own learning to
development of practice
9. Assess how well the previous years objectives were met and help set new ones for
the year ahead
10. Apply evidence to patient care
11. Use strategies to develop own resilience
12. Practice effectively by reflecting to support practice improvement, this maybe with
colleagues and/or by engaging with clinical supervision
13. Become a Designated Prescribing Supervisor (DPS) after practising as an
Independent Prescriber for at least one year
14. Become a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) after practising as an
Independent Prescriber for at least three years and having carried out the DPS role
Health Safety and Security KSF 3
Promote, monitor and maintain best practice in health, safety and security including
issues specific to lone working
1. Identify and manage risk at work and support others to do the same
2. Make sure others work in a way that complies with legislation and hospice
policies and procedures on health, safety and risk management
3. Carry out and support others to carry out risk assessments
4. Checks work area to make sure it is free from risks and conforms to legislation
and hospice policies and procedures on health, safety and risk management
5. Take the appropriate action when risk is identified
6. Identify and action ways of improving health, safety and security
Service Improvement KSF 3
Appraise, interpret and apply suggestions, recommendations and directives to
improve services
1. Identify and evaluate potential improvements to the service
2. Discuss improvement ideas with appropriate people and agrees a prioritised
plan of implementation to take forward agreed improvements
3. Contribute positively to service development and improvement.
4. Support and work with others to help them understand the need for change and
to adapt to it
5. Enable and encourage others to suggest change, challenge tradition and share
good practice with other areas of the trust
6. Evaluate the changes made and suggests further improvements where needed
7. Write and give feedback on draft policies and procedures
Governance, Quality and Improving Clinical Practice KSF 3
Contribute to improving quality
1. Promote quality approaches making others aware of the impact of quality
2. Understand own role, its scope and how this may change over time in a
developing organisation
3. Review effectiveness of own team and helps and enables others to work as a
team
4. Prioritise own workload and manage own time in a manner that maintains and
promotes high quality
5. Evaluate the quality of own and others work and raise quality issues and
related risks with the appropriate people
6. Support changes in own area that improves the quality of systems and
processes
7. Take appropriate action when there is a persistent problem with quality
8. Contribute to, support and develop audit and research projects.
9. Contribute to the ongoing appraisal, evaluation and development of the
Response and NLB services.
Equality and diversity KSF 3
Promote equality and value diversity
1. Interpret equality, diversity and rights in accordance with legislation, policies,
procedures and good practice
2. Actively act as a role model in own behaviour and fosters a non-discriminatory
culture
3. Promote equality and diversity in own area and ensures policies are adhered to
4. Manage people and apply internal processes in a fair and equal way
Leadership and management KSF 2
Manage a small team and lead by example
1. Take ownership and be prepared to be held accountable
2. Role model ethical behaviour and Hospice values
3. Maximise current opportunities to make improvements
4. Develop and communicate standards and expected levels of performance
5. Delegate effectively and develops team members
6. Support the evaluation of strategic aims in own delivery area
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Current NMC registration
- A Relevant qualification at degree level or equivalent
- Communication skills training, or willingness to undertake
- Independent prescribing (if band 7)
Desirable
- Physical assessment and clinical reasoning, or willingness to undertake
- Leadership training
- Mentoring training
Experience
Essential
- Minimum experience in a specialist palliative care role (18 months if band 6, and 2 years if band 7)
- Complex symptom management
- Advance Care Planning
- Knowledge of clinical governance and evidence-based practice
- Knowledge of issues related to the provision of palliative care in the community
- Knowledge of safeguarding individuals who are at risk
- Knowledge of relevant digital systems e.g. EMIS
Desirable
- Experience of -
- practice/service development
- teaching
- leadership
- assessing risk
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Excellent verbal/written and digital communication skills
- Professional behaviour and communication
- Demonstrate ability to holistically assess and offer interventions in complex palliative and end of life care
- Time and organisation management
- Audit and practice development
- Practising independent prescribing
Desirable
- Staff development and performance management
- Facilitation of learning
- Physical examination skills
- Managing complaints
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Demonstrate St Peters Hospice Values
- Excellence
- Compassion
- Respect
- Passion
- Collaboration
- Flexible and resilient
- A people person who enjoys staff development
- A problem solver and decision-maker
- Organised and can manage changing priorities
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Current driving licence
- Access to a vehicle for work purposes
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Current NMC registration
- A Relevant qualification at degree level or equivalent
- Communication skills training, or willingness to undertake
- Independent prescribing (if band 7)
Desirable
- Physical assessment and clinical reasoning, or willingness to undertake
- Leadership training
- Mentoring training
Experience
Essential
- Minimum experience in a specialist palliative care role (18 months if band 6, and 2 years if band 7)
- Complex symptom management
- Advance Care Planning
- Knowledge of clinical governance and evidence-based practice
- Knowledge of issues related to the provision of palliative care in the community
- Knowledge of safeguarding individuals who are at risk
- Knowledge of relevant digital systems e.g. EMIS
Desirable
- Experience of -
- practice/service development
- teaching
- leadership
- assessing risk
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Excellent verbal/written and digital communication skills
- Professional behaviour and communication
- Demonstrate ability to holistically assess and offer interventions in complex palliative and end of life care
- Time and organisation management
- Audit and practice development
- Practising independent prescribing
Desirable
- Staff development and performance management
- Facilitation of learning
- Physical examination skills
- Managing complaints
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Demonstrate St Peters Hospice Values
- Excellence
- Compassion
- Respect
- Passion
- Collaboration
- Flexible and resilient
- A people person who enjoys staff development
- A problem solver and decision-maker
- Organised and can manage changing priorities
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Current driving licence
- Access to a vehicle for work purposes
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).
Additional information
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).