Palliative Care Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Main Duties:

Champion proactive palliative care to the local community of Purbecks as an option to retain control and live well with a life limiting illness.

Conduct comprehensive patient assessments to identify individual symptom burden and total pain. Working alongside patients to develop care plans and interventions that advocate patient goals/ wishes and choice.

To work as a senior clinician and lead within a multidisciplinary team (MDT). Attending the monthly MDT for caseload review and shared care with fellow clinicians to achieve the best outcomes for patients and families.

Introduce, explain and guide Advanced Care Planning with patients and families.

As a senior member of the clinical team, you will rotate with other senior staff to take the role of duty clinician, triaging referrals, coordinating the running of the day and managing calls from patients, GPs, carers and outside agencies.

To facilitate a Health and Well-being Programme in the Purbecks, which entails:

o To lead on health and death education for patients and families to support greater engagement and informed decisions (all content is created with input from wider team and the patient group)

o Weekly patient assessment to identify symptom burden, create patient led management plan and goals to assess/ evaluate outcomes of interventions.

o Allocate time with families and loved ones to offer informal carers support they require.

o To be responsible for maintaining a personal awareness of professional developments your discipline of clinical practice in general, but particularly in palliative care and to undertake relevant further education.

Understand and analyse patient clinical observations and records, taking or instigating appropriate action as necessary

To manage and respond appropriately to any clinical emergencies based on knowledge of each patients/ families wishes and escalation plan.

To take responsibility in overseeing medicines management. Facilitate and assist patients in the management of their own medicines. Liaise with patients own GP to confirm accurate medication list is being adhered to.

Be responsible for ensuring adequate and accurate patient documentation and records are maintained in accordance with professional guidelines and LMHC policy

Facilitate effective discharge planning in conjunction with the inter-professional team and outside agencies.

Promote good working relationships and collaborative working with the inter-professional team within the whole of the Organisation

Use research/evidence-based practice to ensure high quality, cost-effective care, contributing to service improvement and development.

Be familiar with the LMHC clinical policies and procedures and work within these

To abide by LMHC policies on uniform code and infection control policies in general, including hand hygiene.

To support Clinical Lead with frontline people management. Supervise and mentor all junior staff working alongside you including students, bank staff, junior registered and unqualified staff.

To performance review 3 staff members by holding monthly 1:1 interview and conducting yearly appraisal.

Ensure a safe environment for patients and staff and be actively involved in clinical audit.

Liaise and support the charity fund-raising team/activities to raise the profile and encourage community partnership and engagement.

Our Values:

• We are person centred
• We listen to what matters
• We are kind
• We are accountable

This is an outline job description and may be subject to change, according to the needs of the service, in consultation with the post holder. It should be taken as the current representation and consequently a job description review will automatically take place as part of the annual appraisal.

This organisation is committed a policy of equal opportunities and is a smoke free working environment.

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma of Higher Education or Degree in Nursing/ physiotherapy/ Occupational Therapy/ paramedic science.
• Minimum of 3 years post qualification experience.

Desirable

• Post graduate study completed in palliative/ end of life care or frailty.
• 5 years post qualification experience.

Attitudes and Values

Essential

• Flexible and adaptable
• Self-motivated
• Compassionate with an enabling and empowering approach
• Active listening
• Committed to confidentiality and equal opportunities
• Understand the importance of What Matters
• Team worker
• Committed to self-development and learning
• Commitment to excellent person-centred care

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Ability to work autonomously with excellent self-management skills
• Effective communication skills
• Leadership and management.
• Clinical assessment and problem solving
• Group facilitation.
• Ability to travel.

Desirable

• Advanced Communication Skills Training course or similar.
• IT literacy and Experience with SystmOne.
• NMP qualification.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of caring for patients and families following the diagnosis of a terminal illness.
• Basic knowledge of palliative care & symptom control.
• Primary/ community based clinical practice.
• Frontline management skills.
• Clinical audit.

Desirable

• Knowledge of palliative care framework and guidelines.
• Knowledge of public health initiatives.
• Enhanced/ advanced clinical assessment skills.
• Previous engagement in clinical research.
• Student Supervisors and assessor qualification.

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).