Role Overview
Surrey Downs Health & Care is looking for a Respiratory Specialist Nurse to join its community multidisciplinary respiratory specialist team comprising respiratory nurse specialists, highly specialist respiratory physiotherapists and a Respiratory Assistant Practitioner. The postholder will demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of long‑term respiratory management for patients with COPD, Asthma, Bronchiectasis and other respiratory conditions.
Key Objectives of the Respiratory MDT
* Deliver evidence‑based care for patients with COPD in the Surrey Downs area.
* Develop integrated respiratory service pathways through audit, evaluation and evidence‑based practice.
* Promote health through patient empowerment, health education and self‑management skills.
* Enable prompt assessment, diagnosis and treatment according to agreed policies, protocols and guidelines.
* Request and perform appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions within agreed policies and guidelines.
* Prescribe treatments deemed clinically appropriate, in line with local guidelines, the Nurse Prescribing Formulary and Trust protocols for Non‑Medical Prescribing.
* Lead the professional development of junior team members within the service.
* Offer and participate in health promotion activities, including health needs assessment for the caseload and local population.
* Manage complaints according to Trust policy and within professional guidance.
* Contribute to research and development using audit and other tools, including user and stakeholder feedback.
Nursing Caseload and Clinical Practice
* Work independently as a respiratory nurse specialist practicing holistic, evidence‑based, guideline‑driven strategies.
* Prioritise workload and manage own patient caseload, including planning and evaluating care.
* Be professionally and legally accountable for all work undertaken.
* Ensure appropriate risk assessments are undertaken for lone‑work safety.
* Practice advanced clinical assessment through history taking and physical examinations, recognising and diagnosing exacerbations of respiratory conditions and differentiating other diagnoses (e.g., heart failure).
* Interpret clinical assessment findings using tools such as spirometry and blood tests.
* Make recommendations to patients and other health‑care professionals on the best course of intervention, and initiate appropriate treatment plans, including independent nurse prescribing and standby medication.
* Promote self‑management through disease‑specific education, health promotion, stop‑smoking referral, nutrition, psychological interventions and exercise; participate in community pulmonary rehabilitation where required.
* Triage and review patients referred to the service and the AECOPD pathway using agreed protocols and procedures.
* Carry out follow‑up assessments and treatment in patients’ homes, liaising with other team members as required.
* Collaborate with community‑based professionals such as GPs, district nurses and home carers to promote continuity of care.
* Identify patients’ goals in relation to their respiratory condition and facilitate meeting these through education and support.
* Act as a resource for all professionals involved in the care of respiratory patients.
* Maintain contemporary, up‑to‑date patient records on EMIS nursing progress notes and write specific reports as required.
* Initiate and implement changes in clinical practice that improve standards of care and health outcomes.
* Develop standards of practice against which quality of care may be measured.
* Identify and address clinical issues and incidents within the community to improve quality of care.
* Identify and resolve patient‑related or service problems and prioritise demanding and conflicting needs.
Change Management and Leadership
* Act as a change agent and innovator, planning, instigating and evaluating change through robust audit cycles.
* Lead the development and maintenance of collaborative relationships, partnerships and networks aimed at influencing and improving health outcomes for respiratory patients.
* Lead the development of COPD services informed by local and national guidance, patient and carer needs, and multidisciplinary skills.
* Contribute to measuring the effectiveness and productivity of respiratory/COPD disease management through data collection and analysis for the team annual reports.
* Develop and implement evidence‑based clinical practice within the team.
* Maintain and report on the upkeep of equipment used in the respiratory service.
Communication and Collaboration
* Work collaboratively with members of the respiratory team and other clinical specialties, including ILTs, GP practice, and palliative care teams, to provide seamless, high‑quality care in the borough.
This advert closes on Sunday 1 Mar 2026.
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