Clinical Nurse Specialist with assessment, consultation & prescribing

Job responsibilities

Clinical Practice

Appropriately assess for possible reversible causes where admission or treatment could improve patients' quality of life. If cause is not considered reversible to actively prevent unnecessary hospital admission by co-ordinating care within the community setting.

Escalate or refer to other internal or external services where clinically indicated

Consider Advance Care Planning as part of all assessments and, with patient consent, add/ update the My Care Choices Record as choice is expressed or changes. To consider patients expressed wishes when formulating a management plan.

Consider Emergency care planning as part of all assessments and review, complete or update ReSPECT forms as appropriate.

Use advanced communication skills in delivering highly emotive information clearly, sensitively and unambiguously with staff, patients, families and professionals by face to face, telephone and/or electronic means.

To identify and overcome potential barriers to care including, but not limited to, language, culture, disability or neurodiversity.

To act as an advocate safeguarding the patients and familys rights and interests, abilities and aptitudes, encouraging empowerment and informed choice

To provide an expert resource to St Helena staff for the clinical and supportive care of patients who require advice relating to palliative or end of life care.

To provide an expert resource to external health care professionals for the clinical and supportive care of patients who require advice relating to palliative or end of life care.

To be an active member of the Specialist Palliative Care Multidisciplinary Meeting both providing advice and seeking expertise from others including presenting complex patients or patients whose presentation may benefit the education of others

Liaise with colleagues with colleagues across health and social care, including home ward. Continuing health care and social care to access care packages, making onward referrals when applicable.

Ensure you follow all St Helena policies and procedures

Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.

Ensure that all professionals involved in a patient's care are kept updated with any assessment, treatment or advice undertaken.

Maintain and develop working relationships with community and hospital colleagues ensuring effective communication so enhancing patient care

Leadership

Model professional behaviour at all times

Organise own workload ensuring all four pillars of practice are prioritised appropriately. Encourage this behaviour in others.

Help to coordinate the day-to-day activity of the Singlepoint service including co-ordinating visiting across all grades of staff and managing unexpected absence.

Provide management support within the Patients and family services team including direct and indirect management of individuals and resources.

Participate in Clinical Supervision both as a recipient and a provider

Act as a supervisor or mentor for staff in developmental roles

Motivate and encourage junior staff and students to provide the highest standards of holistic patient care, providing education and training opportunities within the service including, but not limited to, shadowing opportunities.

Encourage open and honest communication within the team and with managers.

Work with senior colleagues to oversee the implementation of relevant National and Local guidance and strategies

Work with senior colleagues to meet the KPIs set for the service

Participate in service planning in conjunction PFS leadership team

Participate in the development of policies and procedures required for service delivery

Ensure the service complies with external regulators.

Assist in the appointment of new staff

Investigate incidents and complaints and implement an action plan as a result.

Help to maintain an awareness of health, safety and welfare at work issues (including infection control and risk assessment and management) within the service area.

Education

To identify own professional development needs and identify effective ways to meet these.

To ensure knowledge of palliative and end of life care is up to date.

To meet the requirements of annual appraisal and NMC revalidation including attendance at NMP updates and reflections.

To role model educational opportunities as an important part of practice.

To identify opportunities and facilitate ad hoc learning events during day-to-day practice. This may be with internal staff, external staff, patients or their families.

Identify training needs and provide training to the team in order to meet these

To facilitate and develop training for internal and external staff engaged in palliative and end of life care delivery alongside Hospice Education.

To facilitate and develop training resources for patients and their families.

To mentor and supervise colleagues completing MSc level modules

Research

To source and use high quality evidence to inform evidence-based practice.

To disseminate knowledge of high-quality evidence to inform the practice of others.

To identify areas of the service which would benefit from audit or a quality improvement project and see this process through to completion.

To involve others in audit and QIP through participation and dissemination of results.

To take an active role in research projects in which St Helena is involved, including where this is conducted in external settings.

To help develop research projects relating to palliative and end of life care.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse Level 1
• Diploma of credit in palliative care.
• Relevant Health Care degree
• Degree in palliative care or commitment to study at this level
• Independant nurse prescriber
• Evidence of continuous professional and post qualification development
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle

Desirable

• Clinical supervision qualification
• Teaching qualification
• Advanced communication skills training

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience in any setting, working with palliative care patients
• Proven people management experience
• Proven record of planning, leading and implementing successful change projects and able to demonstrate.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, meet deadlines and prioritise workload in a challenging and demanding environment

Desirable

• Experience of working in the community
• Experience of clinical governance with a track record of delivering on clinical quality

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of symptom management.
• Sound community knowledge to ensure patients and families receive the appropriate support
• Proven knowledge and understanding of issues affecting vulnerable people and child protection
• Proven ability to recognise and respond to potential distress in individuals.
• Understanding of working within set budgets
• Working knowledge of End of Life care tools
• Full Driving Licence (and access to a vehicle)
• An excellent understanding of current NHS national, regional and local priorities around end of life care
• Ability to work in a dynamic and diverse environment so that SHH values, standards and objectives are met

Communication and Qualities

Essential

• Sensitive communication skills.
• Skills in :
• Attentive listening
• Empathy
• Exploration
• Non-judgemental
• Summarising
• Diplomacy
• Proven ability to deal with situations of conflict.
• Proven written and oral communication skills.
• Basic IT skills
• Understanding of the effects of life limiting illness on an individual & family.
• Able to work autonomously and as part of a team.
• Ability to use own initiative
• Flexible approach to work and shift system.
• Role model who can influence, motivate and encourage others
• Positive, self-motivated and committed to achieving results and solving problems
• Demonstrates the ability to work independently using own initiative

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).