Are you an experienced Clinical Nurse Specialist or a skilled palliative care nurse looking to take the next step in your career? We are seeking a compassionate, motivated and clinically confident nurse to join our Community Specialist Palliative Care Team, providing high quality palliative and end of life care to patients, families and carers. As a CNS within our hospice, you will play a central role in holistic assessment, symptom management, advance care planning and the delivery of expert advice across a range of settings. You will work autonomously as part of a supportive multidisciplinary team that is committed to outstanding patient care. Who we are looking for
We welcome applications from: Experienced Clinical Nurse Specialists in palliative care, or Registered Nurses with substantial palliative care experience who are ready to step into a specialist role, AND for the right candidate, we offer a development post at a lower banding, with structured competency‑based support, clinical supervision and education to help you grow confidently into the CNS role. What we offer
A warm, supportive, and values‑driven organisation
Specialist training and development pathways
Opportunities for role progression
The chance to make a meaningful difference every day
If you are passionate about delivering high‑quality palliative care and want to develop your specialist skills within a supportive hospice team, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
To provide holistic specialist palliative care in a variety of settings to patients, their families/carers in line with St. Clares mission, vision, and values. To provide support and advice to colleagues both internally and externally in their care of specialist palliative care patients. To actively support St. Clare to reach its strategic ambition and aid developments in the community team to provide a reactive and responsive service for the people of West Essex and East Herts. Actively contribute to education, audit, and research activities to support continuous improvement and the delivery of evidence‑based palliative care.
About us
At St Clare Hospice our vision is that every adult with a life limiting condition in our local communities should have access to palliative care services wherever and whenever they need them, so that they can make the most of every moment, no matter how long they have left to live. Our many different services provide patients, their families, and carers, with physical, emotional, social, psychological, and spiritual support, at home, or here at the Hospice. The Community Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is a key member of our community service team, delivering expert palliative care and support to patients, families, carers, and professionals across West Essex. This role involves providing specialist advice and symptom management through face‑to‑face visits, telephone consultations, and virtual platforms, ensuring patients receive compassionate, person‑centred care in their preferred setting. Operating seven days a week from 8am to 6pm (moving to a 08:00‑20:00 service in the future), the service is supported outside of these hours by a 24‑hour advice line managed by the Inpatient Unit (IPU) team. The CNS works collaboratively with GPs, district nurses, hospice medical staff, and other disciplines to coordinate care and support informed decision‑making, including discussions around preferred place of care.
Job responsibilities
* Clinical Expertise: Work as part of the multi‑professional team to provide specialist palliative care for patients and their families/carers actively integrating theory and practice. Ensure appropriate prioritisation of referrals, manage caseload, provide clinical face‑to‑face assessments and telephone advice and support, delegate to colleagues where appropriate. Practice comprehensive holistic assessments and recommend appropriate treatments, interventions, and support. Liaison with health, social and voluntary care staff in primary and secondary care settings. Establish and maintain effective communication with patients, their families, and carers. Demonstrate and utilise current specialist palliative care knowledge and skills and contribute to developing new initiatives. Act as the patient’s advocate, ensuring equality, diversity, and individual rights are considered paramount in decision‑making processes. Liaise with other departments, participate in patient case discussions as required as part of the multi‑professional team both internally and externally e.g. Gold Standard Framework (GSF). Maintain accurate and contemporaneous patient records via IT solutions in line with St. Clare policies and within the guidelines laid down by the NMC. Communicate information regarding patient care and related matters to appropriate members of the St Clare team and/or external agencies. Work with clinical managers and clinical directors to ensure national, local and hospice directives/legislation are met. Utilise independent prescribing qualifications to assess, prescribe, and review medications in line with palliative care best practices, ensuring timely symptom management and holistic support for patients in the community.
* Leadership: Act as a visible and proactive role model, demonstrating high standards of clinical care, professionalism, and leadership to colleagues, students, and external partners. Provide clinical leadership within the community team, supporting decision‑making, promoting reflective practice, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Collaborate effectively with stakeholders across West Essex and East Hertfordshire, including health, social care, and voluntary sectors, to ensure integrated, patient‑centred care. Promote responsible use of hospice resources, contributing to cost improvement and value‑for‑money initiatives while maintaining high standards of care. Lead or contribute to the development and implementation of new initiatives, ensuring they align with service goals and patient needs. Support the collection, analysis, and reporting of service data, using insights to demonstrate quality, inform business planning, and drive service development. Mentor and support junior staff and students, contributing to their development and helping to build leadership capacity within the team.
* Education and Quality: Continuously seek out and apply emerging knowledge, techniques, and innovations in palliative care to enhance clinical practice and patient outcomes. Champion a culture of reflective practice by promoting, developing, and actively participating in clinical supervision for self and colleagues. Lead and contribute to quality improvement initiatives, including clinical audits, risk assessments, and the implementation of evidence‑based practices to ensure safe, high‑quality care. Collaborate with colleagues to design and deliver impactful education and training, contributing to local and national palliative care learning events and sharing expertise to influence wider practice. Take ownership of personal and professional development, actively pursuing learning opportunities and encouraging others to do the same, fostering a team culture of curiosity, adaptability, and continuous improvement.
* Professional Responsibilities: To act professionally at all times and in accordance with the NMC Code of Conduct. To help maintain a safe environment and actively identify, report, and manage risks relating to lone working and community work. To be aware of and work within the Policies/Procedures/Standards of St. Clare Hospice, including those relating to Health & Safety and Moving & Handling. Keep up to date with recent developments in nursing and palliative care. Attend relevant study opportunities – it is desirable that a masters degree in a relevant subject, or other comparable qualification, is completed within three years of being appointed if not previously achieved. Maintain confidentiality of patients and staff at all times. To deliver optimal care to patients from assessment to management plan, including prescribing of therapeutic drug regimes. Demonstrate flexibility and a team‑focused approach by supporting colleagues and contributing to shared responsibilities, especially during periods of high demand or staff absence. To perform any other function that is requested by the Community Services Manager within the scope of your role and capabilities. Because of the nature of the work at St Clare you will need to be prepared to address searching questions regarding death and dying on a personal level.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* 1ST Level Registered nurse with current NMC registration
* Diploma / Degree in palliative care and practical experience
* Independent prescribing qualification, or willingness to undertake training and achieve this within an agreed timeframe
* Experienced and confident in teaching
* Advanced Communications Skills training or prepared to work towards
* Relevant post registration experience working at band 6 or above
* Experience of working in a community setting.
* Demonstrated competence in independent/supplementary prescribing with a sound knowledge of pharmacology and symptom management in palliative and end of life care
* Palliative Care qualification at level 7 – It is desirable that a masters degree in a relevant subject, or other comparable qualification, is completed within three years of being appointed if not previously achieved.
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.
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