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Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Clinical Nurse Specialist (XR06)

The closing date is 03 December 2025

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Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for a 2 year fixed term post within the Heart Failure clinical nurse specialist team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

We are primarily an in-patient service aiming to provide high quality clinical assessment, education and management to patients admitted with Heart Failure via our Out-Reach service which is nurse led with Consultant and Registrar support.

We also provide multiple out-patient services; nurse led medication optimisations clinics, a combined heart failure and devices service which we run jointly with cardiac physiologists and daily telephone support for patient seeking advice and guidance

We are a highly motivated and enthusiastic team and work within a progressive and supportive multidisciplinary Heart Failure team that includes; Consultants, registrars, cardiac physiologists and the Leeds Community Heart Failure nursing service.

We are seeking someone who is organised, dynamic and enthusiastic about supporting those living with heart failure and developing their knowledge and skills.

Expected Shortlisting Date

04/12/2025

Planned Interview Date

19/12/2025

Main duties of the job

The Jobholder is responsible for the management of in-patients and out-patients with Heart Failure. The jobholder carries continuing responsibility for the assessment of care needs, the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care and the setting of standards of care for Heart Failure patients.

The jobholder will provide education and management expertise to the Heart Failure patient group and will contribute to the development of the Heart Failure service. The jobholder will ensure cost effective use of resources. Promote the accurate diagnosis, and appropriate treatment of patients with Heart Failure. Contribute to a seamless pathway of care for this client group.

The job requires the clinical assessment and management of complex in-patients across two sites (Leeds General Infirmary and St James) as part of the Heart Failure Out-Reach service, this is predominantly nurse led with Consultant support.

You will provide out-patient clinics; a nurse led face to face clinic and a combined heart failure and devices clinics that is jointly run with our cardiac physiologist colleagues. You will also provide IV Iron replacement to Heart Failure patients on the day unit.

The job also requires daily advice and guidance to patients calling the service for support with their condition.

You will also be expected to contribute to data collection for the national Heart Failure audit

About us

Come and join our team in Leeds and become part of The Leeds Way sharing our vision and values. Our Trust is recognised for our staff engagement, great care and rated GOOD by the Care Quality Commission.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest acute health providers in the UK and based in one of the fastest growing and vibrant cities in the north.

At Cardio-Respiratory CSU, we aim to be a fair and supportive CSU with positive, caring teams who are champions of the Leeds Way values. Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Patient-centred

Collaborative

Fair

Accountable

Empowered

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Details

Date posted

12 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

24 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9298-CRS-318

Job locations

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF


Job description

Job responsibilities

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Leadership

Provide a visible clinical lead and role model to the nursing and wider team by delivering high quality compassionate care.

Support staff to provide efficient, effective, safe and quality care to patients as an expert practitioner.

Deliver a positive patient experience.

Support in the delivery of an effective, evidence based, safe, quality service within budgetary envelope.

Provide support to the clinical teams to develop new ways of working.

Provide effective leadership in the development of staff at all levels.

Motivate staff in the delivery of quality patient care.

Support the Heart Failure CNS Team Leader to develop the heart failure service in conjunction with the team and key stake holders in the community

Contribute to Nursing and Midwifery objectives and service improvement.

Supervise clinical delivery of care competencies.

Anticipate problems and take preventative or mitigating actions, or have contingency plans available.

Investigate and respond to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events.

Maintains record of workload and performance monitoring information and reviews this on a regular basis with team manager.

Under the direction of the Team Manager participates in or leads the development of specific elements of nursing practice, reflecting the CSU and Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals business plans.

Engage users and carers views on service delivery and development.

Contribute to and implement policy and practice guidelines specific to the clinical specialty, proposing changes where appropriate.

Exercises a personal duty of care in relation to equipment, resource and stock control utilising equipment and supplies appropriately.

Clinical

Provide high quality care as an expert practitioner and act as a role model and resource for advice, support and guidance.

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care and treatments using advanced clinical knowledge and clinical skills for both in-patients and out-patients.

Work with the Heart Failure MDT to provide a dedicated out-reach service, This will involve identifying, assessing and managing patients with Heart Failure across both the Leeds General Infirmary and St. James Hospital.

Facilitate Nurse-led Clinics on a weekly basis, providing expert and specialist information for patients and their families as well as medication optimisation to improve patient outcomes

Work with cardiac physiologists to provide the combined Heart Failure and device clinic providing clinical assessment, education, and interpretation of device diagnostics

Support the IV Iron day case service

Refer patients as appropriate to other members of the multi-disciplinary team

Collaborate with palliative care teams regarding patients with end-stage Heart Failure.

Liaise with Community Services to ensure seamless provision of care delivery for heart failure patients

Provide accurate discharge information to primary care and community teams to facilitate effective follow-up care and management for patients who access the service

Work closely with Consultants and ward staff to facilitate effective discharge planning for Heart Failure patients

Set, monitor and seek to continuously improve standards and the quality of patient care, including those standards defined in the relevant guidelines

Promote evidence based practice, wherever possible

Support patients and their families and ensure they receive required information to enable them to participate on their care delivery

Develop and implement policy and practice guidelines specific to heart failure patient care and management.

Acts in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct

Where appropriate to the services patient demographic, to developmentally appropriate, young person friendly healthcare to support young people; including support for transition, as they move from childrens into adult services between the ages 11-25 years.

Organises own clinical workload.

Undertake duties on wards or departments as and when required by service demands or patient need.

Supervise clinical staff to promote the delivery of excellent clinical standards.

Receives supervision of clinical care and outcomes from nurse specialist team leader.

Ensure and promote the maintenance of a safe, clean and secure working environment.

Act in such a way that safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults at all times. Is familiar with and adheres to, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) safeguarding policies.

Raise concerns with regards to risk, danger, malpractice or wrong doing by following the LTHT Whistleblowing policy and supporting processes.

Ensure that documentation standards are maintained in accordance with NMC and LTHT guidelines, whether written or computerised.

Promote and maintain positive working relationships between all staff, internal and external to the Trust, involved in the care of patients.

Communication

Maintains accurate clinical and other records using the LTHT documentation.

Support patients and their families, communicating sensitive condition related information, ensuring they receive required information to enable them to participate in their care delivery.

Deliver complex information to patients and staff.

Liaise with external health providers and other agencies (as appropriate) to ensure seamless provision of care delivery.

Quality Improvement & Research

Improve the quality and safety of our services by being proactive in promoting and supporting the Leeds Improvement Method.

Contribute to quality improvement programmes as required.

Keep up to date with and communicate service developments, advances and research.

Through the use of audit, local research, metrics and feedback continually seek to identify practice that needs improvement. Implement and evaluate any resultant improvement plan.

Contribute to data submission for the NICOR Heart Failure audit

Actively promote patient involvement and feedback within service improvements to promote a positive patient experience Maintain and sustain the momentum of improvements until they are firmly embedded into the values and culture of the clinical area.

Undertake audit programmes specific to client group, treatments and developments.

Help to set, monitor and seek to continuously improve standards and the quality of patient care, including those standards defined in local and national guidance.

Participate in clinical trials as appropriate.

Work closely with Research and Innovation to promote research , disseminate outcomes and findings to support evidence based practice.

Contribute to the research agenda and participate in clinical trials as appropriate.

Education and Training

Provide training and education of learners and other junior staff

Participate in own and others appraisals and in the development of own personal development plan and performance review.

Undertake role specific training and competencies.

Provide education and training to patients and their carers.

Keep up to date with developments, advances within the specialty.

Collaborate with other members of the team in clinical areas and departments to ensure that the provision of education and training is clear and robust.

Mentorship and supervision of junior staff.

Support staff to deliver evidence based practice and research activities to further enhance patient care.

Undertake mandatory and priority training within the required time scales

This does not provide an exhaustive list of roles and responsibilities, and these may be subject to change with professional and service developments

Job description

Job responsibilities

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Leadership

Provide a visible clinical lead and role model to the nursing and wider team by delivering high quality compassionate care.

Support staff to provide efficient, effective, safe and quality care to patients as an expert practitioner.

Deliver a positive patient experience.

Support in the delivery of an effective, evidence based, safe, quality service within budgetary envelope.

Provide support to the clinical teams to develop new ways of working.

Provide effective leadership in the development of staff at all levels.

Motivate staff in the delivery of quality patient care.

Support the Heart Failure CNS Team Leader to develop the heart failure service in conjunction with the team and key stake holders in the community

Contribute to Nursing and Midwifery objectives and service improvement.

Supervise clinical delivery of care competencies.

Anticipate problems and take preventative or mitigating actions, or have contingency plans available.

Investigate and respond to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events.

Maintains record of workload and performance monitoring information and reviews this on a regular basis with team manager.

Under the direction of the Team Manager participates in or leads the development of specific elements of nursing practice, reflecting the CSU and Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals business plans.

Engage users and carers views on service delivery and development.

Contribute to and implement policy and practice guidelines specific to the clinical specialty, proposing changes where appropriate.

Exercises a personal duty of care in relation to equipment, resource and stock control utilising equipment and supplies appropriately.

Clinical

Provide high quality care as an expert practitioner and act as a role model and resource for advice, support and guidance.

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care and treatments using advanced clinical knowledge and clinical skills for both in-patients and out-patients.

Work with the Heart Failure MDT to provide a dedicated out-reach service, This will involve identifying, assessing and managing patients with Heart Failure across both the Leeds General Infirmary and St. James Hospital.

Facilitate Nurse-led Clinics on a weekly basis, providing expert and specialist information for patients and their families as well as medication optimisation to improve patient outcomes

Work with cardiac physiologists to provide the combined Heart Failure and device clinic providing clinical assessment, education, and interpretation of device diagnostics

Support the IV Iron day case service

Refer patients as appropriate to other members of the multi-disciplinary team

Collaborate with palliative care teams regarding patients with end-stage Heart Failure.

Liaise with Community Services to ensure seamless provision of care delivery for heart failure patients

Provide accurate discharge information to primary care and community teams to facilitate effective follow-up care and management for patients who access the service

Work closely with Consultants and ward staff to facilitate effective discharge planning for Heart Failure patients

Set, monitor and seek to continuously improve standards and the quality of patient care, including those standards defined in the relevant guidelines

Promote evidence based practice, wherever possible

Support patients and their families and ensure they receive required information to enable them to participate on their care delivery

Develop and implement policy and practice guidelines specific to heart failure patient care and management.

Acts in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct

Where appropriate to the services patient demographic, to developmentally appropriate, young person friendly healthcare to support young people; including support for transition, as they move from childrens into adult services between the ages 11-25 years.

Organises own clinical workload.

Undertake duties on wards or departments as and when required by service demands or patient need.

Supervise clinical staff to promote the delivery of excellent clinical standards.

Receives supervision of clinical care and outcomes from nurse specialist team leader.

Ensure and promote the maintenance of a safe, clean and secure working environment.

Act in such a way that safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults at all times. Is familiar with and adheres to, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) safeguarding policies.

Raise concerns with regards to risk, danger, malpractice or wrong doing by following the LTHT Whistleblowing policy and supporting processes.

Ensure that documentation standards are maintained in accordance with NMC and LTHT guidelines, whether written or computerised.

Promote and maintain positive working relationships between all staff, internal and external to the Trust, involved in the care of patients.

Communication

Maintains accurate clinical and other records using the LTHT documentation.

Support patients and their families, communicating sensitive condition related information, ensuring they receive required information to enable them to participate in their care delivery.

Deliver complex information to patients and staff.

Liaise with external health providers and other agencies (as appropriate) to ensure seamless provision of care delivery.

Quality Improvement & Research

Improve the quality and safety of our services by being proactive in promoting and supporting the Leeds Improvement Method.

Contribute to quality improvement programmes as required.

Keep up to date with and communicate service developments, advances and research.

Through the use of audit, local research, metrics and feedback continually seek to identify practice that needs improvement. Implement and evaluate any resultant improvement plan.

Contribute to data submission for the NICOR Heart Failure audit

Actively promote patient involvement and feedback within service improvements to promote a positive patient experience Maintain and sustain the momentum of improvements until they are firmly embedded into the values and culture of the clinical area.

Undertake audit programmes specific to client group, treatments and developments.

Help to set, monitor and seek to continuously improve standards and the quality of patient care, including those standards defined in local and national guidance.

Participate in clinical trials as appropriate.

Work closely with Research and Innovation to promote research , disseminate outcomes and findings to support evidence based practice.

Contribute to the research agenda and participate in clinical trials as appropriate.

Education and Training

Provide training and education of learners and other junior staff

Participate in own and others appraisals and in the development of own personal development plan and performance review.

Undertake role specific training and competencies.

Provide education and training to patients and their carers.

Keep up to date with developments, advances within the specialty.

Collaborate with other members of the team in clinical areas and departments to ensure that the provision of education and training is clear and robust.

Mentorship and supervision of junior staff.

Support staff to deliver evidence based practice and research activities to further enhance patient care.

Undertake mandatory and priority training within the required time scales

This does not provide an exhaustive list of roles and responsibilities, and these may be subject to change with professional and service developments

Person Specification

Skills & behaviours

Essential

  • Compassionate
  • Ability to work automously
  • Flexible and adaptable
  • Organise and prioritise own workload
  • Work within a team to achieve shared objectives

Desirable

  • IT Skills

Experience

Essential

  • Significant and recent relevant experience working as a Band 5 (or higher) Staff Nurse or equivalent post registration experience within speciality

Desirable

  • Service development and/or change management
  • Experience of clinical audit and standard setting

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered Nurse (RN Adult for adult clinical areas (Level 1 or 2)
  • Evidence of continued professional development

Desirable

  • Post registration qualification in specialty
  • Degree Level Education or evidence of working towards
  • Nurse Prescribing qualification
  • Clinical examination qualification
  • Recognised teaching/assessing qualification or equivalent experience of teaching and assessment
Person Specification

Skills & behaviours

Essential

  • Compassionate
  • Ability to work automously
  • Flexible and adaptable
  • Organise and prioritise own workload
  • Work within a team to achieve shared objectives

Desirable

  • IT Skills

Experience

Essential

  • Significant and recent relevant experience working as a Band 5 (or higher) Staff Nurse or equivalent post registration experience within speciality

Desirable

  • Service development and/or change management
  • Experience of clinical audit and standard setting

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered Nurse (RN Adult for adult clinical areas (Level 1 or 2)
  • Evidence of continued professional development

Desirable

  • Post registration qualification in specialty
  • Degree Level Education or evidence of working towards
  • Nurse Prescribing qualification
  • Clinical examination qualification
  • Recognised teaching/assessing qualification or equivalent experience of teaching and assessment

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF


Employer's website

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF


Employer's website

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

HF CNS Team Leader

Sarah Winsor

s.winsor@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

12 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

24 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9298-CRS-318

Job locations

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF


Supporting documents

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