Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Heart Failure Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
The closing date is 07 July 2025
The post holder is to work alongside the existing heart failure team for the development, delivery, and evaluation of a specialist nursing service for people with heart failure. The aim of the service is to reduce the impact of symptoms and improve the quality of life for people with the condition, including optimising medical therapy and providing education and support to patients, their families and carers.
The post holder will work within locally agreed guidelines in partnership with other health professionals. In addition, the post holder will assist in the development and delivery of education and training for other health professionals caring for patients with heart failure.
Main duties of the job
* Responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of individual plans of care, recommending the best course of action. This necessitates high levels of autonomy and advocacy.
* Developing, providing and evaluating highly specialised knowledge, skills and innovative practice in the area of heart failure, underpinned by a sound evidence base and acting as a source of expertise in heart failure.
* To act as an independent prescriber. This includes managing a cohort of Heart Failure patients. As part of the management of these patients, prescribing or titrating heart failure, evidence based, medication in accordance with NICE guidance, local Trust heart failure guidelines and his or her scope of practice.
* To establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships with other staff which arecharacterised by open communication, trust and respect.
* To work effectively as a member of the professional and multi professional teams.
* To contribute to the development of the service.
* To support, guide and teach.
About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Our valuesWe not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Job responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities
To deliver and evaluate a specialist nursing service for patients with heart failure alongside the existing team. To include:
Demonstrate appropriate practice in the care management of patients referred to the heart failure service.
Triage referrals to the heart failure service to ensure patients are seen in appropriate clinics.
To work within trust wide clinical guidelines, policies and procedures, including those agreed for heart failure.
Assessment of individuals physical, psychological and social needs, requiring advanced clinical reasoning, investigative and analytical skills.
Planning, implementation and evaluation of specialised individual plans of care, recommending the best course of intervention. This necessitates high levels of autonomy and advocacy.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Registered Nurse
* Evidence of CPD
* ALS provider
* Independent non-medical prescriber
* MSc module in Heart Failure
* Recognised teaching qualification
Experience
* Relevant post registration experience to include: coronary care/cardiology experience.
* Experience working within a cardiac setting at a Band 6
* Palliative care
* Development of protocols and guidelines
* Teaching/training - groups/individuals
* Research
* Physical examination skills
* Experience in heart failure and cardiac conditions in primary care
Knowledge
* Decision making involving complex facts/situations.
* Multidisciplinary working
* Clinical Audit
* Ability to relate theory to practice
* Ability to work autonomously
* Specialist knowledge of heart failure
* Understanding and interpretation of the wider local and national agenda/policies around service provision for heart failure.
* Local and National Clinical Governance issues
Personal Skills
* Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills
* The ability to effectively communicate in both written and verbal form
* Counselling skills
* Time management
* Organisational skills
* Interpersonal skills when having challenging conversations.
* Working within scope and role.
* Diplomatic
* Flexible approach to individual and team working
* Excellent team player
* Self motivated
Other
* Experience of working in a primary care setting.
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.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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