Specialist Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Community Specialist Palliative Care team as a B7 Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).

We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic and experienced nurse, with a passion for promoting excellence in end of life care.

The successful candidate will work alongside a team of nurses delivering highly specialist palliative care advice, support and monitoring to patients, their families and staff across the Central Cheshire community footprint.

You will work closely with our Palliative Care Medics, and as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team including District Nurses, AHPs, GPs and our local hospital and hospice teams.

This valuable role is equally rewarding and demanding, and we are committed to creating a supportive environment, where supervision, training and development opportunities are actively encouraged to meet the clinical needs of the job.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will:

• Contribute to the provision of a co-ordinated specialist palliative care service for patients, families and carers across CCICP.
• Have responsibility for a shared caseload of patients with cancer and other life-limiting conditions, with specialist palliative care nursing needs, acting as a keyworker for a percentage of the caseload.
• Provide holistic assessment of patients, formulate management plans, and implement care by providing specialist advice on complex pain and symptom management.
• Act as a specialist resource for advice to other healthcare professionals across CCICP.Maintaining excellent working relationships with the wider MDT.
• Participate in non-clinical aspects of the role including audit, education, and research.

About us
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides comprehensive hospital and community services for East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester (population 357K). Our services include planned and unplanned/emergency care, cardiac and critical care, child health, maternity, and intermediate care across Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford.Through our community arm, Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership, we deliver extensive services in 26 medical centres and schools in collaboration with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT and the South Cheshire and Vale Royal GP Alliance. With 500 beds and around 5,500 staff, we are one of the area's largest employers.

Since the formation of Integrated Care Systems in July 2022, the Trust has become a key partner in Cheshire East & Cheshire West and Chester and in two provider collaboratives, aligning our strategic goals with the Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care System.As part of the national New Hospital Programme, we're reimagining Leighton Hospital to create a new health and care neighbourhood, transforming healthcare delivery for a Healthier Future. Learn more on our Healthier Futures website.

At Mid Cheshire, our mission is to inspire hope and provide unparalleled care for the people and communities of Cheshire, helping them to enjoy life to the fullest.

Job responsibilities
Please see attached full job description and person specification - below is a summary of key duties.

• Lead in specialist area of practice, providing expert professional advice to others across the Trust within agreed guidelines and protocols, including generalist colleagues and other professional groups when required.
• Perform comprehensive specialist assessment of community patients, plan, treat and evaluate care within agreed guidelines and protocols according to evidence-based practice and changing health needs, including prescribing medication.
• Communicate complex specialist information to generalist colleagues and others. Refer patients to appropriate clinicians, in the Trust or externally, within agreed guidelines and protocols, according to assessment of patient need and evidence-based decision.
• Prioritise patient care, supervising and allocating ones own workload, monitoring and evaluating effectiveness of care, including discharge of patients, or referring on, within agreed guidelines and protocols.
• Perform specialist clinical skills in the treatment and overall management of patient care, including requesting and interpreting investigations, within agreed guidelines and protocols.
• Provide a comprehensive specialist service, accepting accountability and responsibility for the management and effectiveness of the community service on a day-to-day basis.
• Collect, collate, evaluate and report on information, including communicating detailed information to clinical colleagues and others, maintaining accurate patient records and documentation.
• Promote patient and public involvement in the improvement of services, and involve patients and carers/relative in the planning and delivery of their care.
• Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure patient needs are met, especially in relation to patient flow, care pathways and discharge arrangements.
• Analyse and act on information to proactively manage and maintain NHS targets and standards.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Adult nursing Degree or equivalent
• Masters level qualification or equivalent
• Post graduate qualification in palliative care
• V300 Prescribing Qualification
• Clinical Diagnostics Qualification
• Teaching/mentoring qualification
• Advanced Communication Skills
• NMC Registration.

Desirable

• Research Qualification
• Counselling Skills Training
• Full UK driving license and car for work purposes

Skills
Essential

• Advanced communication, negotiation & listening skills
• Ability to manage/lead junior colleagues
• Audit skills
• IT skills
• Proactive workload management and prioritisation skills
• Ability to cope under pressure, and deal with complex emotional situations

Desirable

• Teaching and presentation skills

Experience
Essential

• Relevant post registration experience in palliative care
• Experience of multi professional working
• Evidence of CPD

Desirable

• Relevant post registration experience of working in NHS services
• Relevant post registration experience of working in a community setting

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).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).