Job overview
Band 7 Specialist Palliative Care CNS 7.5hrs/week
An exciting opportunity has risen for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Clinical Nurse Specialist to join our well-established Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care and End of Life team in the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust. This is a senior nursing post which combines clinical, educational, audit, research and managerial duties. You will be providing and promoting evidence-based care in order to influence clinical decisions regarding the care of patients with palliative and end of life care needs; working collaboratively with other members of the multi-disciplinary team. Your role will ensure the continued development of our high-quality service, working collaboratively with the community, local hospices and the Integrated Care Systems on a holistic, cross-boundary approach.
Main duties of the job
· Provide specialist holistic support to adults with life limiting illness and to those approaching end of life within the acute setting.
· Provide social, emotional and spiritual care for the patient and family.
· Provide advice, support and education to the Trust where appropriate, as part of a multi-professional team.
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is proud to care for the communities of West Essex, delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality services. We are part of the Neighbourhood Wavea national programme that’s changing how care is delivered by focusing on prevention, early support, and more joined-up services across health, social care, and the voluntary sector.
This means we’re working more closely with local partners to bring care closer to home and support people to live healthier, more independent lives.
We’re a supportive and inclusive organisation that values its people. We offer development opportunities, flexible working, and a strong focus on wellbeing. As a Disability Confident and equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences.
Join us and help shape the future of care in West Essex.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist will be part of the existing and well established Macmillan Specialist Palliative and End of Life Care Team. This is a senior nursing post which combines clinical, educational, audit, research and managerial skills. The 7.5hrs/week post has arisen due to accommodation of flexible working requirements.
The role is providing and promoting evidence based care in order to influence clinical decisions regarding the care of patients with palliative and end of life care needs; working collaboratively with other members of the multidisciplinary team. The post holder is required to work both independently and within a team to ensure the continued development of a high quality care. Working collaboratively with the community, local hospices and the Integrated Care Systems recognising the need for a holistic cross boundary approach.
The Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist will participate in covering a seven day service including Bank Holidays.
The post holder will support the priorities identified in the six Ambitions for End of Life Care, Advance Care Planning (ACP) and End of Life documentation. The post Holder will participate in audit and quality improvement within the Trust, and contribute to education and training of clinical and non-clinical staff.
Scope and range
The Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Team provides Specialist Palliative Care and End of Life advice to all adult wards and relevant outpatients’ clinics. As the acute trust provides care to both West Essex and East Hertfordshire there are close links to St Clare Hospice, Isabel Hospice and St Francis, with regular meetings and sharing of information. The team liaise and share information with the community providers in West Essex and East Hertfordshire.
Duties and responsibilities
Principle aims.
Provide expert evidence based advice and support regarding palliative care and end of life care for both cancer and non-cancer patients to hospital health care professionals.
Provide expert evidenced based advice and support to patients with palliative care or end of life care needs involving their families / carers.
As part of the existing SPCT contribute to the development of strategies to meet the needs of the service.
Improve end of life care through education and training.
Improve coordination between services and raise awareness of palliative care and end of life care issues.
Promote partnership working across boundaries by attending multi organisational meetings, collaboration with community and hospice services in joint education, sharing best practice and ensuring communication to enable a seamless service for patient care.
Support the use of end of life care documentation, and ensure that these are available and in use in the right settings for the benefit of the patient and their carers.
Contribute to the process of long term sustainability of palliative care and end of life care service developments.
Increase the proportion of patients dying in their preferred place.
To abide by the NMC rules and code of professional conduct.
Clinical
Provide specialist symptom control advice and on-going support to patients with specialist palliative care needs (as defined in the NICE Palliative & Supportive Care Guidelines), regardless of diagnosis.; acknowledging the different levels of intervention that may be required.
Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive information using advanced interpersonal and communication skills as are required within a highly emotive atmosphere. Support other professionals in communicating effectively with patients and their families/carers
Act as an expert resource with the multidisciplinary teams who deliver end of life care in the hospital and outpatients settings to ensure best practice is being used, identifying and responding to the unpredictable psychological, physical, spiritual and social needs of this patient group and their carers.
Assist patients, healthcare professionals and carers in hospital and outpatients settings to make informed decisions by conveying, in an understandable format, information regarding care in the terminal phase of illness, particularly where barriers to understanding exist.
Attend and participate in the weekly Specialist Palliative Care multi-disciplinary meeting.
Develop relationships to support decision making re identifying the dying person and the subsequent implementation of individualised end of life care planning and advocate appropriate and timely symptom control measures.
Offer an individualised service, respecting diverse cultural backgrounds and identifying the spiritual needs of the patient and their family/ carers and enabling involvement of appropriate religious/pastoral care professionals.
To be accountable for continuously improving the quality of the service and safeguarding standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical practice will flourish.
To participate in incidents and clinical reviews within the team
Education
Maintain up to date knowledge and skills by attending relevant conferences and developing an awareness of changing practice by networking with other professionals and accessing recent literature.
Complete own professional development as detailed in annual appraisal.
Maintain a professional portfolio in order to meet revalidation requirements.
Act as an expert resource with the multidisciplinary teams in who deliver end of life care in hospital and outpatient settings to ensure best practice is being used, identifying and responding to the unpredictable psychological, physical, spiritual and social needs of this patient group and their care giver.
Monitor the progress of end of life care decisions; assist in monitoring individualised documentation
Lead and facilitate in the various education programmes within the Trust and community pertaining to specialist palliative and end of life care. Evaluate, review and report on the outcomes from these educational events to inform further teaching
Participate in the teaching and development of the End Of Life Champions and the Butterfly Volunteers.
Leadership, management and audit.
Lead by example, demonstrating an awareness of the need to support both junior and senior colleagues; promoting Trust values and behaviours.
Organise and manage own work and practice, identifying and maintaining support networks, linking with relevant colleagues and departments.
Work collaboratively with all Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Professional teams across the hospital, community and hospice in order to promote quality and safety of patient care in all clinical settings. Attend cancer site specific multi-disciplinary meetings.
Be responsible for comprehensive data collection and relevant annual local audit for example NACEL, presenting results and action plans to appropriate Trust boards
Demonstrate computer skills in order to meet the needs of audit and monitoring purposes.
.Work collaboratively with the long term condition teams ensuring the early identification of this patient group, appropriate care of the patient and the family / carers and support for the health care professionals involved.
Represent the team at the relevant trust forums eg. End of Life Steering Group.
Participate in the Trust appraisal process.
Attend statutory mandatory training as per Trust policy.
Maintain accurate records in keeping with Information Governance Guidelines.
Collaborate with Patient Experience Team and promote patient and public involvement activities, leading to service improvement.
Contribute to the development and implementation of Trust policies, protocols, procedures and guidelines relevant to palliative care/end of life care
Work collaboratively to assist in the maintenance and further development of specialist palliative care.
Provide informal support, information, education and training to meet the needs of all grades of health care professionals, non-clinical staff, patients, relatives and carers within the speciality of palliative care and end of life care. Undertake formal education and presentations within the trust and externally.
Support and develop existing simulation training in conjunction with the medical skills lead.
Support the development of the End of Life Champions in order to facilitate the development of the end of life tools and knowledge at ward / department level
Participate in the team handover meetings
Work collaboratively to participate in the training and implementation of the End of life documentation
Participate in Quality improvement initiatives within the team
This job description may be subject to change according to the varying needs of the service. Such changes will be made after discussion between the post holder and the manager. All duties must be carried out under supervision or within Trust policy and procedure.