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Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent

Palliative Specialist Nurse

The closing date is 06 December 2025

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Job summary

Why work for Pilgrims Hospices?

  • You have a background in palliative nursing care
  • You want to develop your nursing skills into a specialist role and be part of a pro-active multi-disciplinary and professional team, who put excellent patient care as their priority
  • You have a passion for working collaboratively in an environment of thriving on positive change and making a difference to those with palliative and end of life care needs
  • You want to go home at the end of the day knowing you've made a difference to people and their families/carers in east Kent.
  • You are passionate about supporting and empowering patients to live well until their very last moment in their life through holistic needs assessment; providing individually planned care informed by patient wishes; supporting patients and their families/carers to have open and honest conversations about their wishes for end of life care

If so, then the role ofPalliative Specialist Nurse at Pilgrims Hospices Thanet may be just the job for you!

We are seeking well-motivated and forward thinking professionals to join our multi-disciplinary team, in supporting patients across east Kent.

Main duties of the job

Key duties include:

  • Undertakes a comprehensive palliative care nursing assessment in the outpatient/telephone clinic, home or ward setting identifying an appropriate plan of care for patients and families based on clear goals intended to bring about effective, measurable patient / family outcomes
  • Oversees the patients progress in line with the care plan and makes changes to plans when patients needs and preferences change.
  • As an independent prescriber, prescribes medicines for patients in accordance with local policies, national standards and formularies relating to scope of practice.
  • Promote the work of the Hospice through collaborative working with clinical and allied professionals, encouraging a multi-professional team working approach to support patients, families and carers irrespective of setting
  • Initiates and undertakes audit projects to inform standards of practice, instigates and participates in research activities.
  • Supervise and share knowledge and skills, imparting advice and recommendations for patient care to junior colleagues as well as other health and social care professionals as required.

About us

Recognising the need to support employees working within this particular field, we provide an extensive range of physical and psychological support measures through our health and wellbeing programme, to ensure your success, including:

  • A supportive and friendly working environment
  • Regular quality interactions with our clinical and medical teams
  • Strong working relationships with other members of the multi-disciplinary teams
  • On-going training and CPD/career development
  • Access to a range of resources to ensure our staff have access to help and support where and when they need it; and
  • Regular self-care and development sessions

Details

Date posted

20 November 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B0497-25-0055

Job locations

Pilgrims Hospice In Thanet

Ramsgate Road

Margate

Kent

CT9 4AD


Job description

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities

The purpose of this role is to provide a level of specialist palliative nursing expertise to improve outcomes for patients at the end of life. A senior nurse and a key member of the multi-professional team, the post holder will assess palliative care needs and develop appropriate plans of intervention and support to ensure a timely and appropriate service for patients and families. The post-holder will act as a resource to provide advice to other professional colleagues on active palliative care management. The role has an important function in overseeing good standards of care in line with evidence based and best practice guidance and also in supporting the development of junior staff.

POSITION IN ORGANISATION

Reports to:Community Team Leader

Department: Clinical Services

Grade: Band 6

For more information about this role, please refer to the job description.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities

The purpose of this role is to provide a level of specialist palliative nursing expertise to improve outcomes for patients at the end of life. A senior nurse and a key member of the multi-professional team, the post holder will assess palliative care needs and develop appropriate plans of intervention and support to ensure a timely and appropriate service for patients and families. The post-holder will act as a resource to provide advice to other professional colleagues on active palliative care management. The role has an important function in overseeing good standards of care in line with evidence based and best practice guidance and also in supporting the development of junior staff.

POSITION IN ORGANISATION

Reports to:Community Team Leader

Department: Clinical Services

Grade: Band 6

For more information about this role, please refer to the job description.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • 1st Level Registered Nurse.
  • First degree in nursing/palliative care or associated clinical field or
  • equivalent.
  • Formal mentorship qualification including as a practice supervisor or assessor.

Desirable

  • Teacher qualification.
  • Willingness to work towards completing non-medical prescribing
  • course, related to Specialist Palliative Care.

Right to work in the UK

Essential

  • Pilgrims Hospices is unable to offer Visa sponsorship at this time and you will be asked to prove your right to work status as part of this application process.

Experience

Essential

  • Circa 4 years post basic registration experience which includes at least circa 2 years in an appropriate field of practice caring for patients on palliative pathways for a significant proportion of previous role functions.
  • Experience of productive multi and inter-multidisciplinary work.
  • Experienced in the use of common IT software in the workplace to ECDL
  • standard.
  • Experience of informal and formal teaching / effectively imparting skills to other multi-professional colleagues.

Desirable

  • Can demonstrate previous experience of being involved in change projects that improve the patients experience.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Holistic assessment skills.
  • Demonstrates specialist knowledge in the field of palliative care with a high degree of skills and abilities in managing advanced palliative symptoms.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • 1st Level Registered Nurse.
  • First degree in nursing/palliative care or associated clinical field or
  • equivalent.
  • Formal mentorship qualification including as a practice supervisor or assessor.

Desirable

  • Teacher qualification.
  • Willingness to work towards completing non-medical prescribing
  • course, related to Specialist Palliative Care.

Right to work in the UK

Essential

  • Pilgrims Hospices is unable to offer Visa sponsorship at this time and you will be asked to prove your right to work status as part of this application process.

Experience

Essential

  • Circa 4 years post basic registration experience which includes at least circa 2 years in an appropriate field of practice caring for patients on palliative pathways for a significant proportion of previous role functions.
  • Experience of productive multi and inter-multidisciplinary work.
  • Experienced in the use of common IT software in the workplace to ECDL
  • standard.
  • Experience of informal and formal teaching / effectively imparting skills to other multi-professional colleagues.

Desirable

  • Can demonstrate previous experience of being involved in change projects that improve the patients experience.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Holistic assessment skills.
  • Demonstrates specialist knowledge in the field of palliative care with a high degree of skills and abilities in managing advanced palliative symptoms.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent

Address

Pilgrims Hospice In Thanet

Ramsgate Road

Margate

Kent

CT9 4AD


Employer's website

https://www.pilgrimshospices.org/jobs (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent

Address

Pilgrims Hospice In Thanet

Ramsgate Road

Margate

Kent

CT9 4AD


Employer's website

https://www.pilgrimshospices.org/jobs (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

HR

hr@pilgrimshospices.org

01233504133

Details

Date posted

20 November 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B0497-25-0055

Job locations

Pilgrims Hospice In Thanet

Ramsgate Road

Margate

Kent

CT9 4AD


Supporting documents

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