Palliative care clinical nurse specialist
A part time, fixed term clinical nurse specialist vacancy has arisen within the specialist palliative care team at North Bristol NHS Trust.
The Palliative Care Team is a hospital based multi-disciplinary team that receives approximately 2,150 patient referrals per year from all specialities within the Trust.
Main responsibilities
* Facilitate the highest possible quality of care to palliative care patients and their families.
* Provide specialist symptom control advice and support to patients, relatives, carers and professional colleagues in an acute hospital setting.
* Facilitate rapid or complex discharges, enabling patients to receive care in their preferred place at end of life where possible.
* Support health care professionals involved in caring for palliative care patients in both hospital and community settings through role‑based education.
* Act as an independent practitioner with a defined clinical caseload.
* Provide specialist advice to nursing, medical and paramedical staff within the provider unit regarding evidence‑based palliative care and cancer‑related issues.
* Offer support, advice and information to patients, families and carers on all aspects of palliative care.
* Regularly review the effectiveness of treatment plans and suggest changes when necessary.
* Act as a patient advocate where necessary.
* Independently manage a caseload of patients, assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating individual care needs to maintain and promote quality.
* Respect patients’ dignity, wishes and beliefs, involving them in shared decision‑making.
* Liaise and establish good working relationships with health care professionals and other disciplines involved in patient care.
* Recognise and advise on changes in a patient’s condition that may affect care planning, discharge and treatment.
* Achieve effective changes in practice to ensure a palliative care approach using diplomatic interaction and negotiation skills with all grades of staff.
* Contribute to effective discharge planning to ensure continuity of care between hospital and community.
* Ensure resources are used effectively and liaise with relevant health and social care agencies when deficiencies arise.
* Contribute to multidisciplinary meetings.
* Refer patients to other specialist agencies as necessary.
* Keep professionally updated on research evidence‑based care delivery.
* Continually reflect on practice to improve patient outcomes.
* Actively promote equality and diversity.
* Recognise and understand financial budgets when recommending specialist palliative care equipment and drugs.
* Work in conjunction with budget holders to ensure a cost‑effective approach to symptom management and equipment use.
* Contribute to the development, dissemination and implementation of guidelines and protocols on palliative care issues.
* Contribute to clinical governance initiatives.
* Propose changes to working practices within own and other specialist areas to improve patient outcomes.
* Regularly lead or contribute to clinical audit initiatives and research, influencing practice development.
* Disseminate clinical audit outcomes to improve professional practice and/or patient care.
* Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records and data, protecting confidential information in compliance with the Data Protection Act and Trust policy.
* Provide specialist training and education on cancer and palliative care to a wide range of multi‑professions, including pre‑registration nurses and medical students.
* Provide effective clinical placements for pre‑ and post‑registration nurses and medical students.
* Act as a role model for good practice.
* Be aware of the well‑being of all members of the palliative care team and support them appropriately.
* Act as an educational resource and adviser to staff, patients and carers.
* Provide clinical supervision/mentorship to other health care professionals.
* Evaluate the effectiveness of learning and development and use outcomes to inform future practice.
* Practice within the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.
* Work within the policies and procedures of North Bristol NHS Trust.
* Keep up to date with current developments in the field of palliative care and other related areas.
* Attend mandatory training as defined by the Trust.
* Be aware of local infection control policies and procedures.
* Ensure working conditions are safe, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
* Ensure a secure environment is maintained and report breaches promptly.
* Keep up to date in national, local and Trust development/policy.
* Respond to, record and report any adverse events or incidents related to interventions or treatments.
* Report on accidents/incidents using RADAR where appropriate.
* Engage in appropriate exercises, training and investigations to update and extend knowledge to ensure safe and competent practice.
* Have significant post‑registration experience, including recent experience in caring for patients with end‑stage non‑malignant disease, cancer or receiving palliative care.
* Hold a recognised teaching qualification (e.g., ENB 998 or equivalent).
* Show evidence of recent study at degree/M level.
* Work autonomously and without direct supervision.
* Be accountable for own actions when making clinical decisions regarding patient management.
* Carry out key responsibility for management of client caseload regarding provision of specialist palliative care support and advice.
* Demonstrate advanced interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
* Motivate and empower staff to address palliative care needs in a holistic manner.
* Communicate bad news to patients and families in a sensitive manner and support staff in breaking bad news.
* Identify and resolve complex physical and psycho‑social needs using expert evidence‑based assessment and facilitative skills.
* Assess palliative care patients’ needs using a systematic process of reasoning, including differential diagnosis.
* Use and disseminate in‑depth knowledge of symptom management using drug and non‑drug measures.
* Coordinate and negotiate care packages with internal and external health and social care agencies.
* Recognise and respond appropriately to complex bereavement issues.
* Possess IT skills including Microsoft Word, email, Excel and Powerpoint.
Person Specification
* Specialist palliative care experience.
* Experience within an acute hospital.
Education and Training Qualifications
* Registered General Nurse (RGN).
* Relevant Specialist Post‑Qualifying Degree and/or short courses at M level or M‑degree.
* Evidence of recent formal professional development in relevant subjects.
* Recognised Teaching Qualification.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
* Able to assess symptoms accurately and suggest appropriate pharmacological and non‑pharmacological interventions.
* Able to facilitate rapid or complex discharges to enable, where possible, patients’ preferred place of care at end of life.
* Excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
* Ability to communicate difficult news to patients and families in a sensitive manner and to support staff in communicating difficult news.
* Evidence of knowledge in recent research development and knowledge of local and national issues with NHS, supportive, palliative and cancer care.
* Computer literate, able to use databases and other relevant programmes (Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, Outlook, CISS, ICE, PACS).
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Salary and Working Hours
£39,959 to £56,515 a year, pro rata for part time roles.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti‑discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all under‑represented groups.
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