Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for Band 6 Palliative Nurse Specialists to join our Community Nursing teams at [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]. We are a supportive and dynamic team delivering outstanding palliative care to people in our community. You will need knowledge and experience of palliative care, confident decision-making skills and a passion to continuously improve and develop. This role is primarily advisory, with minimal hands-on nursing care. The Community Nurse Specialist Team support a complex patient caseload of 400-450 patients and work 7.5 hr days Monday to Friday with a regular commitment to the weekend/ bank holiday rota. We can offer either full or part time hours (37.5 or 30 hours per week).

Main duties of the job

• Holistic assessment face to face and by phone
• Problem solving, decision making, symptom control and prescribing advice
• Independent prescribing
• Advance care planning and completion of Respect plus
• Joint working / liaison referral / signposting with internal and external MDT
• Initial bereavement support

You will be given excellent support to develop your nursing skills into a specialist role. There are opportunities for professional development and specialist training in palliative care, including Independent Prescribing. For further information or to arrange an informal visit / shadow shift, please contact Cate Robbins (Lead Specialist Nurse Community and Access teams) [contact hidden], Cheryl Arkwell [contact hidden] or Collette Mapley [contact hidden] (Joint Community Nurse Specialist East Team Leads), or by phoning [contact hidden].

About us

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] has spent over 40 years helping people die in peace, and with dignity. Combining compassion with clinical expertise, we provide patients with the best possible care at the end of their lives. We're here for the people around our patients too – those closest to them. Before, during and after a bereavement, we provide support that's remembered forever. We think it's that unforgettable support that inspires people to give back to [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]. To fundraise for us. Donate. Volunteer. We're not exaggerating when we say that we couldn't do what we do without our wonderful supporters. We really can't thank them enough. We want to help many more people to die well. And we're doing this by teaching others. As a centre of educational excellence, we share our skills with other health professionals, helping the NHS and care homes to provide better end-of-life care. We're here for all, for free, forever. The Benefits: If you join our clinical team, we offer NHS Agenda for Change benefits such as: NHS equivalent salaries, Generous holiday entitlement and recognition for previous NHS service (up to 33 days for 10 years' service), Continuation in the NHS pension scheme for existing members, Recognition of previous NHS service for sick pay.

Job responsibilities

• Take and analyse a clinical history in a relevant, succinct and logical manner either remotely or face to face
• Independently assess the patients needs, identify their priorities and work with the patient and those close to them towards achieving them
• Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the options for achieving control of symptoms and the ability to make safe clinical decisions and offer advice to the primary health care team
• Provide information to patients, taking account of their individual needs, taking advice from those who are close to them, colleagues and external professionals where appropriate
• Refer to other members of the hospice multi-professional team
• Refer/signpost patients and carers to other health and social care professionals where appropriate
• Demonstrate an ability to explore the personal resources of families/carers to facilitate where possible that patients are cared for in the place of their choice
• Support and coach carers at home in managing a relative whose condition is deteriorating
• Recognise and manage palliative care emergencies
• Bring closure to the nurse-patient relationship and provide for a safe transition to another care provider as appropriate
• Act as a resource to other professionals, both internally and externally, on specialist palliative care and end of life care issues
• Be involved with and support MDT meetings when required
• Deputise for team leader
• Work collaboratively with clinical and administrative colleagues to provide a responsive and patient-centred service
• Recognise the impact of caring for dying patients on yourself, internal and external colleagues and offer / seek support
• Use physical assessment and clinical reasoning skills as part of patient assessment and to support clinical advice, professional communication and documentation
• Perform Non-Medical prescribing within area of competence and practice according to local policy

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Essential: Current NMC registration, Relevant qualification at degree level (or equivalent), Communication skills training or willingness to undertake, Valid UK driving licence
• Desirable: Mentoring training, Experience of teaching, Non-medical prescribing or willingness to undertake, Physical assessment and clinical reasoning or willingness to undertake

Experience

• Essential: Minimum 2 years post registration, Recent significant palliative care experience, Working knowledge of clinical governance and evidence-based practice, Working knowledge of safeguarding individuals who are at risk
• Desirable: Sound knowledge of issues related to provision of palliative care in the community, Working knowledge of relevant statutory and voluntary agencies, Experience of advance care planning conversations, Experience of audit processes, Experience of using EMIS database, Knowledge and experience in symptom management for malignant and non-malignant disease

Additional Criteria

• Essential: Ability to analyse complex facts and situations, Problem solving skills, Ability to work to tight timescales, Ability to work autonomously, Take responsibility for constructive feedback, Ability to think laterally, Innovative approach, Robust emotional resilience, Professional calm manner, Flexibility, Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice, Uphold hospice values, Access to a vehicle for work purposes
• Desirable: Computer literate (Word/Excel/PowerPoint)

Additional Information

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.