Clinical Nurse Specialist (Adult Community Services)

Clinical Nurse Specialist (Adult Community Services)

Adult Hospice @Home

22.5 hours per week, Flexible Workdays including
weekends

£45,118 – £48,288 (Pro-rata) per annum

4211.44ph

 Ellenor Coldharbour Road, Gravesend, Kent. DA11 7HQ

Head of Adult Community Services

Director of Patient Care

Nurses

Working  as  part  of  an  integrated  multidisciplinary  team,  the

purpose of this role is to facilitate optimum quality of life for

patients  and  families  with  advanced  progressive  life  limiting

disease.  This  will  be  achieved  in  collaboration  with  patients

through  the  provision  of  specialist  palliative  care  nursing

interventions  based  on  comprehensive  holistic  assessment,

care planning and education and support to both patients and

families, and for other health and social care professionals.

The role supports primary care key workers in the delivery of

high-quality palliative and end of life care, through partnership

working  and  giving  information  and  advice,  training  and

education.  The  post  holder  will  supervise  the  work  of

colleagues  in  the  extended  Hospice  at  Home  team  as

appropriate.

Clinical Practice

•  To  take  responsibility  for  a  defined  group  of  patients  in  the
community,  ensuring  the  highest  possible  standards  of
individualised  care  and  prioritising  need  in  line  with  available
resources.

•  Ensure the patient’s dignity is promoted and respected and that
equality and diversity are a top priority in the care of patients
and families.

•  Undertake  a  comprehensive  specialist  palliative  care  nursing
assessment  in  an  outpatient,  home  or  care  home  setting,
agreeing a plan of care for patients and families based on clear
goals  intended  to  bring  about  effective,  measurable  patient  /
family outcomes.

•  Work  proactively  to  meet  the  needs  of  patients  providing  an
urgent  response  when  needed  to  support  patients  and  their
families at the end of life.

•  Deliver,  monitor  and  review  the  care  of  patients  and  families
reporting any variances of concern to senior colleagues in the
team, taking appropriate advice in complex cases.

•  Ensure  patients  /  families  preferred  place  of  care/death  is
clearly discussed and identified and advanced care plans are in
place wherever possible.

•  Makes  proactive  patient  referrals  to  appropriate  alternative

internal or external services.

•  Actively plans and reviews patient care ensuring identified goals

have been met.

•  Provides advice and guidance related to symptom management,
and psychological, social and spiritual needs, referring onto the
appropriate professional or service accordingly.

•  Works  pro-actively  to  ensure  that  everything  is  in  place  to
support patients with complex/ end of life care needs, including
medicines,  DNACPR  and  advance  care  plans/  directives.  Also
ensures this has been communicated to all those involved in the
care.

•  Provides  clear  explanations  and  education  as  appropriate  to
ensure  that  patients  and  families  have  the  information  they
require in a timely fashion.

•  Undertakes  bereavement  follow-up  in  line  with  the  agreed

pathway and bereavement risk assessment.

•  Actively promotes the rehabilitative and therapeutic approach

to specialist palliative care.

•  Participates in a seven day per week operational service
•  Works  proactively

families  and
professionals  have  appropriate  links  to  colleagues  in  the
absence of the post holder, ensuring continuity of advice and
intervention through effective team working

to  ensure  patients,

•  Regularly  attends  Hospice  at  Home  multidisciplinary  team
meetings,  proactively  discussing  and  planning  care  for
patients and families.

•  In  the  best  interests  of  patients  and  families,  proactively
collaborates  with  a  wide  range  of  community  and  hospital-
based  health  and  social  care  services  including  voluntary
support groups.

•  Regularly liaises with allocated primary care network, GPs to
ensure  accurate  palliative  care
registers  and  early
identification of patients in the last year of life, to ensure they
receive the right support.

•  Promotes  the  work  of  the  organisation  in  all  settings,
encouraging  collaborative  working  and  the  referral  of
appropriate patients with all diagnoses.

•  Utilises the electronic patient record system to ensure a high
standard  of  communication  and  patient  care,  maximizing
patient benefit and make best use of resources.

•  Ensures  accurate  and  contemporaneous  records,  inputting

patient data as required by the organisation.

             Education, Training and Professional Development

•  Maintains  own  expert  clinical  knowledge  and  skills,  and
achieves  the  educational  standards  set  out  in  line  with  the
skills, knowledge and competency level required for the role.
•  Participates in the induction, training and support of new staff

and colleagues.

•  At the request of the operational Lead, plays a supportive role
to health and social care students undertaking training within
the organisation.

•  As  directed,  actively  participates  in  the  delivery  of  training
sessions  including  internal  and  external  courses,  education
and awareness raising events for professionals

•  Participates  fully  in  clinical  supervision  sessions  in  line  with

organisational policy

Quality, Audit and esearch

•  Participates  in  regular  clinical  audit  to  aid  ongoing  service

improvement and development.

•  Stays  updated  on  research  and  audits  to  align  practice  with

current guidance and policies

•  Assesses,  reports  and  manages  risks  in  line  with  the  Nursing
and Midwifery Council’s Code and the organisation’s policies.
•  Identifies  and  reports  verbal  complaints  in  line  with  the

organisation’s policy.

•  Contributes  to  Clinical  Governance  and  stays  current  with

related activities, policies, and procedures.

•  Works  with  colleagues  to  identify  and  implement  quality

improvement opportunities.

•  Participates in research and audit aimed at enhancing patient or

family care.

•  Actively works to ratified clinical policies and procedures.
•  Abides by all organisational policies and guidance in relation to

confidentiality and information governance.

   General

•  Organises  and  prioritises  any  competing  demands  of  the  role,

completing duties as required within working hours.

•  Adapts and develops in line with changing needs of the role
•  Acts as an ambassador for ellenor in order to raise the profile
of  the  organisation  at  a  local,  regional  and  national  level  as
required

•  Works flexibly across sites and departments from time to time

as may be requested by their managers.

•  Undertakes other duties commensurate with the seniority of the

post as maybe requested by their managers.

•  To be aware of the philosophy of ellenor and to behave as a fit

representative

•  To abide by the organisations general confidentiality policy
•  To be aware of guidelines stated in staff handbook and all

relevant policies and procedures

•  To undertake bi-annual performance review when personal

development plan will be discussed

•  To attend statutory and specialised training when required.

•  At ellenor we are committed to creating and managing a safe

working environment for all our staff, visitors, volunteers and

patients.

All ellenor employees are expected to know, understand and

deliver their Safety Responsibilities.

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Essential:

Desirable:

First Level Registered Nurse with
demonstrable experience in
Palliative Care (min 3 years)

Degree in palliative care or
related subject (including long
term conditions)

Evidence of commitment to
ongoing professional
development

Teaching / mentorship module

Advanced Communication
Skills certificate / training

 Post-registration qualification
in either specialist palliative,
community care or end of life
care

Essential:

Desirable:

Experience working in either
community, palliative care, or
long-term conditions services for
at least 3 years

Experienced in working within own
developing level of competence

Experience of productive multi and
inter-disciplinary working

Experience in delivering
training for other

Experience of working in a
hospice setting

Essential:

Desirable:

Good understanding of the role that
specialist palliative care must play in
palliative and end of life care

Ability to deliver training
programmes / packages with
confidence and clarity

Sound knowledge of palliative and end-of-
life assessment tools and their impact on
patient care

Skilled in symptom management and
initial assessment of psychological, social,
and spiritual needs, with appropriate
referrals as needed.

Advanced assessment skills

Ability to maximize use of IT in the
workplace

Ability to undertake clinical audit
and recommend change to practice
if appropriate.

Ability to communicate effectively with
patients and families

Ability to work effectively with a diverse
range of colleagues / individuals involved
in palliative care services