Job overview
The Cardiac Specialist Nurse will work as a skilled, autonomous practitioner as part of the multidisciplinary team to deliver high quality specialist care for patient diagnosed with heart failure throughout their care pathway.
The post holder will facilitate early review by the specialist heart failure team in all clinical areas across the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust.
They will ensure patients are cared for in the most appropriate setting, providing specialist advice, support and information from diagnosis through to end of life.
This will support early discharge from ED, utilising the Virtual Ward.
The post holder will work within the Nurse led Cardioversion team providing arrythmia assessment, creating a management plan and actively running the Nurse led DCCV theatre list. There is a vision of post DCCV follow up as a future development.
We have two roles available:
1x full time permanent position
1x full time secondment opportunity, for 12 months
Main duties of the job
You will support improved clinical management through development and implementation of processes to enable more efficient patient flow, avoid inappropriate hospital admissions and reduce length of stay by facilitating early supportive discharge to specialist community teams.
You will support the senior heart failure nurse to attend the Cardiorespiratory department with outpatients attending for diagnostic tests to begin early interventions and aid in a smooth referral process to the community heart failure nurses.
The post holder will work within the Nurse led Cardioversion team and actively run the list in theatre
They will support and empower patients to self-care within personal limitations and enable appropriate planning for end of life care
They will actively contribute to relevant audit and research as required.
Working for our organisation
We have 10000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.
Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.
You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done.
You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To provide specialist nursing advice and support to patients, their families and carers from the time of diagnosis and throughout treatment and follow-up phases of treatment and care.
Facilitate early provision of specialist Heart Failure expertise to in-patients admitted to the Trust to ensure equitable care irrespective of geographical location.
Work with Specialist Heart Failure Cardiology Consultants to develop and implement evidence-based care pathways to guide diagnosis and management of heart failure according to local and national guidelines, irrespective of geographical area.
Support the development of nursing services for people with Heart Failure, working across organisational boundaries, ensuring opportunities for early supportive discharge to specialist community teams are maximised.
Be accountable for an individual and shared caseload of patients referred to the Heart Failure Nursing Service at LTHTR.
Demonstrate specialist cardiology knowledge and skills relating to Heart Failure patients across a range of procedures and practices.
Act as a clinical resource in the management of people with Heart Failure for all healthcare professionals within LTHTR and the Cardiac Network.
Prioritise caseload according to clinical stability of patients, taking considering the unpredictable nature of a caseload.
The post holder will work within the Nurse led Cardioversion team providing arrythmia assessment, creating a management plan and actively running the Nurse led DCCV theatre list. There is a vision of post DCCV follow up as a future development.
Future development may include Loop recorder implants in embolic stroke of undetermined source. This will involve liaison between the Cardiology and the Stroke teams.
Maintain standards and practice in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, national guidelines, and local Trust policies/guidelines.
Person specification
Qualifications and Education
Essential criteria
1. Appropriate NMC Registration
2. Mentorship qualification
3. First level degree/Diploma in related subject.
4. Evidence of continued professional development
5. Advanced Communications Skills Training or prepared to work towards
6. Recognised teaching qualification
7. Non-medical prescribing qualification or prepared to work towards
Desirable criteria
8. Level 4 ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) or equivalent
9. MSc Degree
10. Advanced Life Support Certificate
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
11. Able to perform clinical duties commensurate to that of the role
12. Ability to Implement changes within nursing practice
13. Knowledge of Clinical Governance and Safeguarding and the relevance of these to practice
14. Knowledge of relevant policies and procedures
15. Knowledge of ethical issues
16. Evidence of clinical competence in Heart failure/cardiology
17. Knowledge of local/national Health and Social Care policy
18. Knowledge and experience of research
Desirable criteria
19. Experience of managing within a clinical area
20. Knowledge of the PDPR Process
21. Evidence of working at a senior nursing level
22. Experience of budgetary management
23. Experience in nurse-led clinics
24. Experience in developing guidelines or protocols
25. Experience in managing complex patients