Job summary
We are seeking an experienced and passionateDementia Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) to join the Harm free Care Cambridge University Hospitals. This is an exciting opportunity to lead and deliver high quality, person centred care for patients living with dementia across our hospital.
As a Dementia CNS, you will act as an expert resource for clinical teams, patients, and families, ensuring best practice in dementia care is embedded throughout the organisation. You will provide specialist assessment, advice, and support, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to improve patient experience and outcomes.
You will play a key role in:
- Leading on dementia care initiatives and quality improvement projects.
- Providing education and training to staff to enhance dementia awareness and skills.
- Driving compliance with national dementia standards and local policies.
- Acting as an advocate for patients and carers, ensuring dignity and respect are maintained.
This role requires excellent communication, leadership, and organisational skills, with the ability to influence practice and deliver change. You will have a strong clinical background in dementia care, ideally with experience in an acute hospital setting.
Main duties of the job
The Band 7 Dementia Specialist Nurse provides expert clinical care and strategic leadership for patients with dementia and delirium at CUH. The role focuses on delivering person centred care, implementing the CUH Dementia Strategy, monitoring KPIs, and ensuring compliance with national standards.
Key responsibilities include supporting staff education, coordinating Enhanced Care Teams, engaging carers, and using data to drive quality improvement.
This position combines clinical expertise with leadership to enhance patient safety and experience.
About us
Come Nurse with us...
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the country. It comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital. We provide accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge and regional and national specialist services. It's a great place to nurse, work and live.
You will work on a vibrant hospital campus with a friendly community feel; we have excellent facilities to practise your skills and abilities to support your career pathway and development. Our values of Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent support the delivery of outstanding care. We have a fully electronic patient record system that is improving health-care quality; this is transforming services, improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.
Why choose Cambridge University Hospitals?
o Our values and reputation for outstanding careo Opportunities to experience a range of specialitieso Career and development opportunitieso Preceptorship and mentoring programmes delivered by a dedicated clinical education support teamo Research experience and opportunitieso Lovely location and quality of lifeo Excellent schools/colleges and transport links (road, rail and air)
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 11 January 2026
Interviews are due to be held on 20 January 2026
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 11 January 2026
Interviews are due to be held on 20 January 2026
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse educated to degree level
- Post-registration qualification in specialty
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Teaching and facilitation skills
- Advanced communication skills or commitment to undertake
Desirable
- Master's degree or working towards
- Advanced clinical assessment qualification
- Research module or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Significant clinical experience in specialty with demonstrable expert nursing skills
- Evidence of leading service improvement and initiating change
- Experience of formal/informal teaching and staff development
- Experience of multidisciplinary working
Desirable
- Experience in research dissemination and quality improvement projects
- Regional or national networking experience
Knowledge
Essential
- Strong understanding of evidence-based practice and clinical governance
- Knowledge of dementia/delirium pathways and complexities
- Awareness of safeguarding, MCA and DoLS compliance
Desirable
- Knowledge of broader strategic issues affecting specialty and NHS priorities
Skills
Essential
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Leadership and influencing skills
- Ability to work autonomously and manage own workload effectively
- Competence in digital systems (Epic EPR) and data analysis
- Ability to teach and mentor staff and patients
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration
Desirable
- Advanced communication/counselling qualification
- Project management skills
Additional Requirements
Essential
- Professional conduct in line with NMC Code
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Flexibility and adaptability to changing service needs .
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
Desirable
- Experience of contributing to business planning and service development
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse educated to degree level
- Post-registration qualification in specialty
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Teaching and facilitation skills
- Advanced communication skills or commitment to undertake
Desirable
- Master's degree or working towards
- Advanced clinical assessment qualification
- Research module or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Significant clinical experience in specialty with demonstrable expert nursing skills
- Evidence of leading service improvement and initiating change
- Experience of formal/informal teaching and staff development
- Experience of multidisciplinary working
Desirable
- Experience in research dissemination and quality improvement projects
- Regional or national networking experience
Knowledge
Essential
- Strong understanding of evidence-based practice and clinical governance
- Knowledge of dementia/delirium pathways and complexities
- Awareness of safeguarding, MCA and DoLS compliance
Desirable
- Knowledge of broader strategic issues affecting specialty and NHS priorities
Skills
Essential
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Leadership and influencing skills
- Ability to work autonomously and manage own workload effectively
- Competence in digital systems (Epic EPR) and data analysis
- Ability to teach and mentor staff and patients
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration
Desirable
- Advanced communication/counselling qualification
- Project management skills
Additional Requirements
Essential
- Professional conduct in line with NMC Code
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Flexibility and adaptability to changing service needs .
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
Desirable
- Experience of contributing to business planning and service development
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).