Hospice Community Registered Nurse

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

To provide palliative nursing care to patients and their families by phone and face-to-face visits. To work with our hospital and community partners with discharge and admission prevention. To support patients to achieve their preferred place of care/death.

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Implement palliative and end-of-life care to support patients to receive care at home.

Provide urgent response visits for symptom control assessment and support for dying patients.

Have working knowledge of common symptoms and methods of symptom control.

Demonstrate clinical excellence and maintain consistently high standards of individualised care and bereavement support.

Communicate highly emotive information clearly, sensitively and unambiguously with staff, patients, families and professionals by face-to-face, telephone and/or electronic means.

Maintain close liaison with the Community Team working on a daily basis with Care Coordinators to arrange packages of care at home

Enable patients and their carers with palliative care needs to have informed choices, based on accurate evidenced information.

To reassess patients under the care of CHCA service, to adjust level of care and service if needed, and keeping CHC informed when a patient has become stable. To seek advice or refer to other Hospice services, when there is a need.

Contribute to the planning, delivery and evaluation of patient care.

Work effectively with community professionals, support services and members of other Hospice, hospital and palliative care teams, ensuring effective communication between all service providers.

Follow Hospice procedures and statutory regulations relating to custody and administration of drugs.

Be responsible for identifying and acting on any safeguarding risk to patients and their families in accordance with relevant policies and procedures.

Assist in maintaining own and others health, safety and security.

Integrate research-based evidence in all aspects of palliative care into clinical practice.

Ensure all written and verbal communication is constructive, effective, accurate and appropriate, following Hospice procedures and NMC guidelines.

Maintain confidentiality of information at all times.

Have an understanding of safeguarding principles and be able to apply these within everyday practice and intervention/within your role

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBITIES

To take responsibility for managing and prioritising own workload in conjunction with the Community CNS Team Leaders.

To maintain patient statistics, and comprehensive patient records.

To work collaboratively within the wider Community Team and to support the development of the service.

To record all equipment loaned out, ensuring records are kept up to date that that equipment is returned

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES

To facilitate and participate in professional staff placements and lay person visits to the community service.

To participate in the induction new staff as requested.

To participate in professional placements and to recognise the value of volunteer contribution and play an active part in their support & development where appropriate.

EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To undertake desirable education/qualifications.

To complete Hospice Competencies and to take advantage of training and study opportunities when possible.

To identify own learning needs and take responsibilities for seeking out training opportunities in conjunction with the education department.

To participate in continual professional development as required maintaining common training standards across the Hospice.

Attend supervision/ peer assessment as required.

To ensure that feedback from education programmes attended by defined nursing team is made available to all colleagues.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

To identify with the Community CNS Team Leaders a personal development plan to include the Hospice operational objectives and considered personal aims and set goals in order to realise and maximise their potential.

To develop personal, clinical and managerial skills

To fulfil and maintain NMC revalidation requirements.

ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To work within the procedures and guidelines of the Hospice and act within the Care Standards and NMC code at all times.

To participate in the development of clinical standards within the total quality framework of the Hospice and participate in clinical audit.

To understand your role and ensure effective use of resources.

To respect at all times the confidentiality of information covering patients, staff and volunteers.

To play an active part in the development and maintenance of good relationships with all who have business with the Hospice.

To promote the Hospice philosophy of care towards patients, relatives and visitors.

Because of the special nature of the Hospice and its work, you may on occasion be asked to undertake other duties to help maintain our high standard of care.

THIS JOB DESCRIPTION IS NOT NECESSARILY EXHAUSTIVE AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO REVIEW BY THE HEAD OF NURSING LINE MANAGER IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE POST HOLDER.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Calm and controlled under pressure.
• Imaginative and enjoy challenges.
• Reflective.
• Highly motivated.
• Self-disciplined.
• Adaptable and flexible.
• Own transport and current driving licence.

Qualifications

Essential

• State Registered Nurse with current NMC registration and educated to diploma level, in palliative care or a similar related qualification.

Desirable

• Prepared to work to work towards relevant degree.
• Mentorship or coaching experience or qualified.
• Advanced communication skills or prepared to complete.

Specific Skills

Essential

• Able to prioritise and time manage work.
• Good problem solver.
• Ability to support others to reach their own decisions.
• Able to work independently and within a team.
• Able to analyse complex patient information.
• IT literate.

Experience

Essential

• Experience in working in palliative care/oncology/or Community nursing.
• Problem solving, without judgement.
• Commitment to clinical excellence through regular professional updating.
• Identification and assessment of palliative care needs of both patients and families.
• Experience of assessment of care packages and CHC process.
• Ability to work alone in the community setting, managing complex and challenging situations.
• Have an understanding of safeguarding principles and be able to apply these within everyday practice and intervention/within your role.

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).