Job overview
Are you an experienced cardiac nurse wanting to consider a cardiac nurse specialist role? Then read on …..
We have an established Nurse Specialist team in cardiology and now have an opportunity for an experienced cardiac nurse to join the ACHD team (Adults with Congenital Heart Disease) to cover maternity leave for an 11 month period. This could be a secondment from your current role.
Previous experience looking after ACHD patients is not needed as you will develop your knowledge when in post, but an interest in this area is essential.
This post will work alongside the other ACHD Nurse Specialist and will provide nursing support and co-ordination to this patient cohort.
You will need to be an experienced cardiac nurse who would like to develop their experience in this specialist field and also take the opportunity to experience Nurse Specialist care. You will need to have interest in this area along with the desire to learn and develop your knowledge in this specialism. You will need excellent communication skills and be able to work independently and as part of a team. You will need strong clinical skills in cardiac care to able to work confidently in this area.
We will provide full training and development, including support from our Level 1 centre, Guys and St Thomas’, for both training and ongoing experienced nursing advice. Day to day support will be provided by the other ACHD Nurse Specialist and the ACHD Consultants.
Main duties of the job
·Provide specialist care to patients with ACHD.
·Run nurse-led ACHD clinics to provide timely follow up and onward management and facilitate Transition clinics to support patients moving from paediatric to adult services.
·Provide support at the twice weekly ACHD clinics and quarterly combined ACHD clinics with St Thomas’ Hospital, co-ordinating investigations, streamlining care with St Thomas’ Hospital, and providing information, education and support to individual patients.
·Manage the joint ACHD MDT with St Thomas’.
·Collate data to support the case management of this group and lead clinical audits.
·Share responsibility for the development and management of the nursing service.
·Provide specialist education and training to staff and students.
·Provide specialist advice to patients and/or their carers to influence better care and outcomes for patients.
·Manage the pulmonary hypertension (PAH) caseload, providing specialist nurse support into the monthly shared care clinic.
·Provide cover for the aortopathy caseloads when required.
Working for our organisation
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication
1. Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and healthcare professionals, including consultants and clinical nurse specialists working in this field. Share knowledge and experience through networking.
2. Communicate life-changing issues such as medical complications to patients and provide support to patients and their families.
3. Refer patients with complex issues and challenging behaviour for psychological care after obtaining the patient’s consent.
4. Provide information on national support groups and consider the development of a local patient-led support group.
5. Acts as a patients’ advocate in issues concerning their care.
6. Provide written and verbal reports to GPs and other members of the multidisciplinary team regarding treatment changes and recommended management of care. Communicate results of tests to patients and GPs.
7. Support verbal communication by providing written educational material to patients, carers and healthcare professional to ensure understanding of complex issues. Explore different formats and media.
8. Utilise the interpreting service for patients with a language barrier.
9. Maintain accurate records regarding all patient contacts, including telephone consultations.
10. Ensure close liaison with all members of the MDT including medical and nursing staff, midwives, Safeguarding team, Learning Disabilities Liaison team, Palliative Care, clinical psychologist, specialist centres.
11. Ensure that confidentiality and adherence to the Data Protection Act in relation to own practice is maintained.
12. Attend relevant internal and external meetings as required to communicate the performance of the service.
13. Present data and nursing related information at both national and international level.
14. Seek opportunities to publicise and promote the service.
Service Delivery and Improvement
·Share responsibility for the development and management of this service.
·Ensure efficient use of outpatient slots, ensuring patients have had the necessary tests in a timely manner.
·Ensure communication with the specialist centres (e.g. St Thomas’ Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital) is timely and effective.
·Liaise with, and establish flow pathways, for ACHD patients from District General Hospitals to Brighton,
·Implement relevant NICE guidance and work within specialist commissioning guidance.
·Contribute towards meeting the targets achieving UHSussex objectives regarding clinical governance.
·Inform their manager of any untoward incident or accident and ensure that appropriate investigation, corrective action and documentation takes place. Complete the DATIX procedure, in accordance with the Trust Policy.
·Lead on the implementation of Trust policies relevant to their specialist field.
·Maintain the required data collection for the ACHD caseload and Deliver an annual audit of this workload.
·Maintain a knowledge base that reflects contemporary issues and therefore be able to autonomously select and apply the most appropriate treatment regime.
·Maintain, develop and implement professional policies, standards and practices for ACHD and PAH across the Trust.
·In collaboration with UHSussex cardiac research department, develop, participate in and encourage research pertaining to area of specialism, and assist in changing practice related to evidence based research findings.
·In agreement with the specialist team, identify areas for and actively participate in audit, including evaluation of Quality of Life and impact of the service.
·Develop mechanisms for patient feedback about the service and the quality of their care, and act on findings.
·Critically analyze methodology and results of research and apply to future clinical practice where appropriate.
·Utilize information provided by the Trust library services and critically appraise research papers obtained from a literature search.
People Management and Development
oProvide specialist education and training to staff and students, including nurses and midwives.
oDevelop a formal annual training plan which ensures ongoing education and professional development across the network for all health care professionals involved in the care of patients with ACHD.
oLead the development of rotational time for staff working in the local ACHD centre to spend time in the specialist ACHD centre, to enhance development of their clinical knowledge and skills, enabling professional development and career progression.
oEnsure that education delivered has a structured curriculum that is theory-driven, evidence-based and resource-effective, has supporting materials, and is documented.
oEstablish links with educational providers (e.g. University and School of Nursing and Midwifery) and Primary care providers in line with UHSussex regulations, providing maximum learning opportunities in this field.
·Provide training and education for GPs as required.
·Keep up to date with current research and evidence-based practice by attending relevant meetings, courses and seminars. Responsible for sharing knowledge with other professionals and team to influence better care and outcomes for patients.
Patient Care Delivery
·Be the nursing lead, and a named ACHD nurse specialist, for patients with ACHD, delivering specialist care closer to patient’s homes.
·Run a nurse-led ACHD clinic to provide timely follow up and onward management.
·Provide support at the weekly ACHD clinics and the quarterly combined ACHD clinics with St Thomas’ Hospital, co-ordinating investigations, streamlining care with St Thomas’ Hospital.
·Prepare relevant information / imaging required for case discussion at the weekly MDT at St Thomas’ Hospital for ACHD patients.
·Manage the joint ACHD MDT with St Thomas’ and co-ordinate ACHD patient care across the network.
·Co-ordinate cases requiring inpatient procedures, or in-patient stays, with the relevant administrative and clinical staff.
·Act as a liaison between the clinical team, the patient and their partner/family/carers throughout their care.
·Co-ordinate the ASD and PFO closure pathways with the structural heart nurses, ensuring patients are prepared pre-procedure and supported post procedure.
·Provide specialist nursing input into the bi-annual transition clinic, facilitating smooth and managed transitions from paediatric care to adult care, providing psychological support to promote adaptation and adjustment.
·Develop further the transition pathway with a nurse-led follow up appointment to provide patient education and embed their care in adult services.
·Provide age-specific information, education and support to individual patients at these clinics by explaining the diagnosis and management plan.
·Provide age-appropriate information and lifestyle advice to ensure they are fully competent to manage their own condition and healthcare.
·Provide specialist advice on contraception and pre-pregnancy counselling specific to the individual patient.
·Provide information on gaining reimbursement for travel expenses and access to social care benefits and support.
·Support patients and their partner/family/carers through the consent process.
·Provide nursing support to a monthly shared care PAH clinic, taking responsibility for triaging referrals, organising appropriate testing, and co-ordinating investigations in line with appointments. Care will be streamlined with the Royal Free Hospital.
·Cover the Aortopathy service when required.
·Provide a telephone advice line for patients, carers and other health care professionals in order to influence better care and outcomes for patients.
·Ensure full and accurate records of relevant information are documented in the patients' medical notes.
·Make clinical judgements about patients and adjust treatment plans accordingly in order to achieve treatment targets.
·Participate in the expansion of nursing practice using protocols or Independent Nurse Prescribing, as required of the role.
·Develop links with maternity, adolescent, paediatric, rheumatology, respiratory, and HIV services where patients may be shared.
·Work closely and network with other nurse specialists to share practice and provide a uniformly high standard of care.
·Refer patients with complex medical and social needs to community adult support services as their condition requires.
·Support the development of an individualised end of life plan, including an advanced care plan, in consultation with the patient and their family/partner/carers.
Learning and Development
1.The post holder is accountable for their own practice and should take every reasonable opportunity to sustain and improve their knowledge and professional competence.
2.Attend mandatory and statutory training as required.
3.Attend relevant education, training and study days as required.
4.Ensure that practice is in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and other appropriate NMC and statutory guidelines.
5.Maintain own professional development and identify ongoing learning needs in accordance with annual performance review and regular clinical supervision, thereby creating a personal development plan.
6.Attend relevant educational activities, conferences and training programs to maintain an appropriate level of clinical expertise in line with the professional code of conduct.
Person specification
Experience/ Qualifications
Essential criteria
15. Evidence of specialist studies
16. Teaching and assessing qualification
17. Degree level nurse
18. Cardiac nursing experience
Desirable criteria
19. MSc or working towards Independent prescriber
20. Experience of ACHD
Professional Registration
Essential criteria
21. First level Registered Nurse
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications