Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 7 CNS to work within our highly skilled, motivated and dynamic team. We aim to make a difference and improve the experience of palliative care patients at various stages of their disease trajectory.
The post will be based within the existing inpatient Palliative Care Team. We offer 7 day face to face support to ensure that people with specialist palliative care needs, will receive the best quality care. The team currently consists of 4 palliative consultants' equivalent to 2.5 WTE, 1 Band 8a Lead Nurse, 4 WTE Band 7 CNS, 1 WTE band 6 Associate CNS, 1 WTE Band 7 Palliative Care Discharge Coordinator.
The Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is a specialist clinician with extensive experience and knowledge of caring for patients with advanced life threatening illness. The CNS contributes to the provision of the palliative care service in the acute setting as part of the MDT, working collaboratively with colleagues, patients, carers, other health and social care professionals, statutory, voluntary and independent organisations to ensure optimum patient management.
Main duties of the job
As a senior nurse, the CNS will be expected to:
- manage a caseload autonomously and provide expert advice and support to patients with life limiting illness and potentially facing end of life care issues, and support them and their families, using advanced clinical judgement and knowledge in palliative care.
- participate in providing a 7-day face-to-face service.
- contribute to the weekly Hospital Palliative Care MDT meeting.
- design and deliver specialist palliative care education, as well as end of life care to colleagues and other health and social care professionals.
- take part in regular palliative care team audits and review of clinical practice, to develop research skills and contribute to the development of multi-disciplinary research within palliative care.
- act as a resource, educator and advocate for patients, their carers and healthcare professionals.
- work within statutory legislation and local policies and procedures in relation to palliative care and end of life care.
About us
North Mid is part of North Central London integrated care system - consisting of the NHS and Local authority organisations in Camden, Islington, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. As with other ICS's, we are working increasingly closely with partners and indeed many of our financial and performance objectives are measured at this system level. Whilst all organisations remain as standalone, statutory bodies we have an ICS infrastructure for making shared decisions and agreeing shared approaches.
We are proud of our staff and want to ensure their training allows them to provide excellent clinical care. We are also a training unit for medical students from UCL and St George's University Grenada, and for nursing and midwifery students from Middlesex and City Universities.
Take a tour of our hospital here
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. Acts as a resource of clinical excellence in the speciality of palliative care nursing, and ensure that national and local policies are implemented and followed.2. Assess, plan, implement and evaluate holistic patient care based on sound rationale and evidence-based practice to influence and implement treatment.3. Work autonomously demonstrating ability to manage clinical caseload ensuring it reflects the core components of the Clinical Nurse Specialist role.4. Using advanced communication skills, advise and empower other professionals who are directly involved in the delivery of palliative care.5. Participate in the triage processes and standards of response to new referrals and taking part in the daily allocations.6. Maintain and be responsible for electronic and written records in line with the organisational guidelines.7. Offer skilled emotional and psycho-social support and refer on to other members of the multidisciplinary team as appropriate.8. Participate in the weekend face to face on call rota and work within a flexible approach that is responsive to patient/client need.9. Ensure symptoms are optimally managed and anticipatory prescribing needs are identified to provide for imminent changes in condition.10. Offer bereavement support to patient and families, identifying those at risk of complicated bereavement11. Recognise and take appropriate action in issues related to Mental Capacity Act and Safeguarding12. Be able to mobilise other services to contribute to patient care; working closely with the multidisciplinary team to enable best care and a shared understanding of the patients needs13. Develop and maintain close working relationships with all statutory and/or voluntary agencies14. Promotes evidence based practice with measurable standards and outcomes through the process of audit and benchmarking15. Partakes in Clinical Discussion Groups/Clinical supervision as provided16. Participates actively in the delivery of education on Palliative and End of Life Care across the Group17. Use the extended role as a non-medical prescriber, where appropriate and once authorised, adhering to the Royal Pharmaceutical Societies and by the NMC standards.To audit prescribing practice and ensure prescribing pads are stored safely.
Job description
Job responsibilities
1. Acts as a resource of clinical excellence in the speciality of palliative care nursing, and ensure that national and local policies are implemented and followed.2. Assess, plan, implement and evaluate holistic patient care based on sound rationale and evidence-based practice to influence and implement treatment.3. Work autonomously demonstrating ability to manage clinical caseload ensuring it reflects the core components of the Clinical Nurse Specialist role.4. Using advanced communication skills, advise and empower other professionals who are directly involved in the delivery of palliative care.5. Participate in the triage processes and standards of response to new referrals and taking part in the daily allocations.6. Maintain and be responsible for electronic and written records in line with the organisational guidelines.7. Offer skilled emotional and psycho-social support and refer on to other members of the multidisciplinary team as appropriate.8. Participate in the weekend face to face on call rota and work within a flexible approach that is responsive to patient/client need.9. Ensure symptoms are optimally managed and anticipatory prescribing needs are identified to provide for imminent changes in condition.10. Offer bereavement support to patient and families, identifying those at risk of complicated bereavement11. Recognise and take appropriate action in issues related to Mental Capacity Act and Safeguarding12. Be able to mobilise other services to contribute to patient care; working closely with the multidisciplinary team to enable best care and a shared understanding of the patients needs13. Develop and maintain close working relationships with all statutory and/or voluntary agencies14. Promotes evidence based practice with measurable standards and outcomes through the process of audit and benchmarking15. Partakes in Clinical Discussion Groups/Clinical supervision as provided16. Participates actively in the delivery of education on Palliative and End of Life Care across the Group17. Use the extended role as a non-medical prescriber, where appropriate and once authorised, adhering to the Royal Pharmaceutical Societies and by the NMC standards.To audit prescribing practice and ensure prescribing pads are stored safely.
Person Specification
Education & Professional Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Nursing
- Registered Nurse (RNA)
- Evidence of CPD through maintenance of a portfolio
- Teaching qualification
- Masters Degree in related subject or willing to study this
Desirable
- Physical assessment course
- Advanced Communication skills course
- Non-Medical Prescriber
Others
Essential
- Commitment and adherence to the Equality ACT
- Computer literacy
Desirable
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- Skills and knowledge in general palliative care
- Ability to cope with stress/work under pressure
- Ability to manage and prioritise own work load
- Excellent organisational skills
- People management skills/abilities
- Ability to communicate clearly, effectively and sensitively
Desirable
- Up to date knowledge of the speciality of palliative care and its treatments
- Ability to implement new practices and initiatives
- Problem solver
Experience
Essential
- Palliative care experience in relevant field
- Knowledge/understanding of confidentiality issues
- Working in the healthcare sector with relevant oncology /Palliative care or other relevant experience
- Understanding of the palliative patient, family and carers issues and their role in service development
- Experience in working across a variety of settings
Desirable
- Teaching/educating nurses, AHP's and/or patients
Personal Qualities & attributes
Essential
- Commitment to palliative and end of life care
- Flexible approach to work and able to work weekends
- Willingness to adapt to change for the benefit of patent and family care
- Reliabe, honest and trustworthy
Person Specification
Education & Professional Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Nursing
- Registered Nurse (RNA)
- Evidence of CPD through maintenance of a portfolio
- Teaching qualification
- Masters Degree in related subject or willing to study this
Desirable
- Physical assessment course
- Advanced Communication skills course
- Non-Medical Prescriber
Others
Essential
- Commitment and adherence to the Equality ACT
- Computer literacy
Desirable
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- Skills and knowledge in general palliative care
- Ability to cope with stress/work under pressure
- Ability to manage and prioritise own work load
- Excellent organisational skills
- People management skills/abilities
- Ability to communicate clearly, effectively and sensitively
Desirable
- Up to date knowledge of the speciality of palliative care and its treatments
- Ability to implement new practices and initiatives
- Problem solver
Experience
Essential
- Palliative care experience in relevant field
- Knowledge/understanding of confidentiality issues
- Working in the healthcare sector with relevant oncology /Palliative care or other relevant experience
- Understanding of the palliative patient, family and carers issues and their role in service development
- Experience in working across a variety of settings
Desirable
- Teaching/educating nurses, AHP's and/or patients
Personal Qualities & attributes
Essential
- Commitment to palliative and end of life care
- Flexible approach to work and able to work weekends
- Willingness to adapt to change for the benefit of patent and family care
- Reliabe, honest and trustworthy
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).
