Job Summary
HEART FAILURE SPECIALIST NURSE
BAND 6/7 DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE
26.5 HRS PER WEEK
12 MTHS FIXED TERM MATERNITY COVER
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, confident, and highly motivated Registered Nurse to join our Heart Failure Specialist Nursing Team. We are looking for a nurse who can work both autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team, with a strong commitment to delivering high-quality care to patients with heart failure.
About You
* Be a Registered Nurse with experience in heart failure management
* Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills
* Be able to work confidently and autonomously while contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary team
* Have skills in clinical and risk assessment, cardiovascular examination, and patient education
* Be computer literate
* Hold a full driving licence and be willing to travel
* If you are passionate about delivering proactive, patient‑centred care and would like to work in a dedicated heart failure service, we would be delighted to receive your application.
Main Duties of the Job
Nurses with a broad acute medical background who are keen to develop specialist knowledge are also encouraged to apply. Full support will be provided to help you gain the skills and competencies required for the specialist nurse role.
About The Role
You will work within the acute and community heart failure team. You will manage your own caseload of patients and work closely with the wider multi‑professional team to initiate, facilitate, and deliver evidence‑based care for individuals diagnosed with heart failure. This is a rewarding role offering opportunities for professional development within a supportive and proactive team.
Why Join Us?
* Supportive and friendly specialist team.
* Opportunities for training and professional development.
* A rewarding role making a real difference to patients with heart failure.
Potential candidates are warmly welcomed and encouraged to visit the Heart Failure Team prior to application.
About Us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond. The Trust operates hospital‑based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester. Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient‑centred care. We could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
* Being open and honest
* Ensuring people feel cared for
* Showing respect to everyone
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation – this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
Job Description
* Act in accordance with the NMC code of conduct for nurses and midwives and health visitor and to be accountable for clinical practice at all times.
* Assess patients presenting with heart failure syndrome in the acute setting, in their home environment and/or a clinic environment and plan for their future needs in accordance with service guidelines.
* Demonstrate a high level of expertise in the field of heart failure services provision through comprehensive assessment of heart failure patients and the application of this knowledge to advise on the development of services across organisational boundaries.
* Manage individual caseload assuming ability to work autonomously within scope of practice, including clinical assessment and drug titration and prescribing.
* Select, apply and advise on profession specific assessment and treatment strategies for heart failure patients with complex presentations at any stage of the heart failure syndrome.
* Ensure clients receive comprehensive education regarding diagnosis.
* Optimise referrals and patient pathways to avoid hospital admissions by developing and participating in the running of clinics/services such as rapid access Heart Failure Clinic.
* Provide support for patients and their families, particularly where the diagnosis is recent, those in need of palliative care and those experiencing deterioration in their quality of life with regard to physical, psychological, social and spiritual elements of care.
* Support the service leads with coordination of the overall heart failure care pathway.
* Take every opportunity to promote the health of patients and initiate health education strategies such as smoking cessation and cardiac rehab.
* Work with the cardiac rehabilitation team to provide a service for heart failure patients where appropriate.
* Identify patients requiring input from specialist palliative care services, seeking advice from and liaising with these services.
* Ensure care provided maintains the individual's privacy and dignity, values diversity, and respects individual rights and choices.
* Provide emergency care within scope of practice and be familiar with cardiac resuscitation guidelines.
Person Specification
Essential
* First Level Registration.
* Evidence of professional development.
* Evidence of management experience/training.
* Relevant experience at Band 6.
* Relevant experience caring for heart failure patients, preferably in a Cardiology setting.
* Delivery of education particularly to peers.
Desirable
* Degree or working towards.
* Advanced Communication Course.
* Experience of caring in a community setting.
* Cardiac rehabilitation experience.
* Development and implementation of policies and education programmes.
Other Job Requirements
* Ability to travel as part of role.
* Car owner and driver with a clean driving licence.
* Willingness to work across all Trust sites.
* Willingness to undertake further training/self‑development.
Skills and Knowledge
* Evidence of being up‑to‑date with current issues in medical and professional care.
* Experience of audit and evaluation.
* Drug therapies used in heart failure.
* Knowledge of NSF for CHD and other policy changes relating to Heart Disease.
* IT literate.
* Evidence of research‑based practice.
* Organisational skills.
* Proven management skills.
Desirable Skills and Knowledge
* Advanced life support.
* ILS.
* Venepuncture.
* ECG interpretation.
* Nurse Prescribing.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer Details
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Charles Hastings Way
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR5 1DD
Website: https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/
Contact for further information or an informal visit: Kerry O'Dowd, Lead Nurse for Cardiology Specialist Teams via switchboard on 01905 763333 Extn. 33003 or bleep 278; or Dr David Wilson, Consultant Cardiologist on 01905 760217 extn 33994.
#J-18808-Ljbffr