Respiratory Nurse Specialist

Job summary

Are you passionate about respiratory care? Looking for an opportunity to utilise specialist skills, knowledge, experience and develop further? Then come and join the NCH&C Respiratory & Oxygen Team based in West Norfolk. We are a respiratory nursing team focused on high quality, patient-centered care.

As a Respiratory Nurse Specialist you will focus upon the autonomous assessment, management, review and supportive care of patients living with a respiratory diagnosis including COPD, Interstitial Lung Disease and Bronchiectasis. This will include admission avoidance and supporting patients post discharge from hospital as well as delivering the home oxygen assessment and review service for all patients prescribed oxygen therapy.

Applicants will demonstrate extensive respiratory knowledge with appropriate post registration qualifications and excellent communication skills. An understanding of the current drivers in respiratory care nationally to transform services is an essential requirement. Quality improvement is core to the ethos of the service.

The successful applicant will be required to travel across West Norfolk assessing patients in a variety of settings. The applicant will receive support and professional development. This is a post with the community trust although the team are based at the acute trust location.

Current service hours are 8-4pm Monday- Friday excluding bank holidays but may be subject to change in the future.

Main duties of the job

• To act as a specialist practitioner in the assessment and treatment of patients with respiratory disease (COPD, Interstitial Lung Disease and Bronchiectasis) their families and other healthcare professionals whilst working collaboratively with the wider multi-disciplinary team. This will be to provide the best care and support to patients and their families.
• Evaluating service provision and effectiveness and developing new models of care as directed by the service specification.
• To support the delivery of respiratory education.
• This is largely a community role but will include reviewing patients in the acute hospital trust as part of an in reach service.

About us

NCH&C is proud to be the first standalone NHS community trust in the UK to achieve an 'Outstanding' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our focus is on continually improving the quality of care we offer to local people and on improving access to that care, helping people to move seamlessly from one service to another. Praising NCH&C's "compassionate, inclusive and effective leadership at all levels", the CQC observed that our staff are well supported to make positive changes and innovations.

Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust is committed to continuing to create a modern and inclusive work environment. As part of this commitment we actively promote flexible working opportunities where possible, to meet the needs and wishes of our workforce to maintain and improve their wellbeing. The trust offers a range of flexibility, including flexible working patterns, and we would encourage you to discuss this with the recruiting manager before or during the application process if this would interest you.

We welcome applications from people who share our values and can help us deliver outstanding care in our local community.

If you are aged 16-30 and not currently in education, employment or training, our colleagues at the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (supported by the Princes Trust), can provide application and interview coaching. To request this support please contact [contact hidden]

Job description

• Following a specialist respiratory holistic assessment, to assess, plan, implement and evaluate all aspects of patient care including developing individualised treatment/care plans.
• Day to day assessment and management of patients with complex and unstable COPD at high risk of hospital admission or readmission commencing therapeutic treatments as required. This requires autonomous decision-making skills and may also require instigation of diagnostic testing such as CXR, lung function and blood tests.
• Assess patients holistic needs, communicating highly complex and sensitive information to patients and carers including discussing advance care planning.
• Supporting clinical triage of referrals from a variety of sources including acute services, primary care and self-referrals.
• Facilitate the discharge of patients admitted to hospital with acute exacerbation of COPD through clinical assessment and use of tools (such as discharge bundle) and arrange appropriate timely follow up in the community.
• Conduct oxygen assessments/review (including performing a capillary blood gas) in various settings.
• Provide reassessment and monitoring (including risk identification) of patients prescribed oxygen therapy including those discharged from hospital.
• Promote and encourage self-management for patients living with respiratory disease including provision of personalised self-management plans for patients where appropriate and rescue medication packs.
• Education to patients, families and carers regarding medication adherence including inhaler technique.
• Educate and empower patients and carers to identify early signs of change in their condition and provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills to gain independence and make informed choices to safely manage their condition. This includes providing individualised self-management plans and use of digital options/apps.
• Offer health promotion advice and support to families and patients with respiratory disease including smoking cessation.
• Provide clinical expertise, advice and education to others, including GPs, community teams and other agencies.
• Act as a source of expertise and advice for patients, families and carers accessing the service- signposting as required.
• Work closely with acute, intermediate and primary care services to identify those patients who may benefit from community respiratory treatment, and ensure that patients are able to access those services effectively.
• Utilise enhanced communication skills to enable patient engagement and understanding of their treatment/care/management plan.
• Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations may require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
• To work collaboratively with other professionals from Health and Social care including Community Matrons, GPs, Practice Nurses and Respiratory Consultants.
• Liaise with tertiary centres regarding patient management (including Royal Papworth NHS Trust, Addenbrookes NHS Trust and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital)

Person Specification

• Current NMC registration as 1st Level Registered Nurse or equivalent
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) and its application
• Assessor/supervisor/ENB 998 or equivalent training
• Degree/diploma or on pathway/equivalent

• Post registration specialist training, experience, or short courses (respiratory)
• Evidence of working in community or acute setting or both at appropriate level
• Experience of delivering teaching/education
• Experience of multidisciplinary working

• Evidence of basic respiratory assessment and management skills
• Broad range of clinical skills
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise
• Good IT skills
• Able to provide high standards of care
• Demonstration of reflective practice
• Evidence of decision-making skills and working autonomously
• Able to adopt adaptable working practices to accommodate patient/service needs

• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to adapt communication used according to needs of patient/family/carers

• Ability to manage and support colleagues in stressful situations

• Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults
• Good interpersonal communication skills
• Good time-keeping
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise workload
• Committed
• Able to work flexibly to meet the needs of the role
• Empathy & sensitivity
• Demonstrates responsibility for the well-being of patients, colleagues & self

• Must hold full and valid and driving licence and have access to a vehicle
• Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English language