Job overview
We have a great opportunity for a cardiac nurse to move into a specialist nurse role and develop their nursing career. The Sussex Cardiac Centre in Brighton is a leading adult cardiac surgery unit. We have an established Aortopathy service with close collaboration between cardiology, cardiac surgery and vascular surgery.
We are looking to maintain and develop further the Aortopathy service with an additional nurse specialist who will deliver innovative and collaborative ways of working to provide specialist care for patients and their families. This will involve nurse-led Aortopathy clinics and co-facilitating the bi- monthly Aortopathy MDT.
Previous experience looking after these specialist groups is not needed as you will develop your knowledge when in post, but an interest in this area is essential.
You will need to be an experienced cardiac nurse with excellent communication skills to liaise with a wide range of professionals. You will need excellent organisational and prioritisations skills as you will be co-case managing over 1000 patients. You will need to be able to work independently and as part of a team, and have the clinical skills to be able to work confidently in this area. You will also need experience of clinical audit in order to demonstrate effectiveness of service.
Main duties of the job
Provide autonomous specialist care to patients with Aortopathy.
Run bi-weekly nurse-led Aortopathy clinics in order to facilitate close imaging surveillance and health promotion, and identify patients who are approaching the threshold for surgery for discussion at the MDT.
Facilitate the alternate week Aortopathy MDT, presenting patients and arranging onward investigations, along with communication to clinicians and to the patient, in order to achieve timely surgery where required.
Identify patients that achieve the criteria for genetic testing, counselling the patient accordingly and facilitating the test and actioning results.
Collect and collate data to support the case management of this patient group.
Share responsibility for the development and management of these services.
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.
Lead clinical audits.
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
This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route however sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds (£25000), and any role-specific criteria.
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 a new diagnosis or 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 charities.
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 and referring 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
15. Share responsibility for the development and management of this service. Identify areas for service improvement and lead on this.
16. Ensure efficient use of outpatient slots, ensuring patients have had the necessary tests in a timely manner.
17. Collaborate with secondary care and primary care teams across Sussex to enhance patient care and avoid unnecessary delay to referral and treatment.
18. Contribute towards meeting the targets achieving UHSussex objectives regarding clinical governance.
19. 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.
20. Maintain the required data collection for the Aortopathy caseload and deliver an annual audit of this workload.
21. Maintain a knowledge base that reflects contemporary issues and therefore be able to autonomously select and apply the most appropriate treatment regime.
22. Maintain, develop and implement professional policies, standards and practices for Aortopathy across the Trust.
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. Develop mechanisms for patient feedback about the service and the quality of their care, and act on findings.
26. Critically analyse 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
·Responsible for carrying out duties in line with the Trust’s e-rostering processes, including managing rosters, supporting staff allocation, and contributing to effective budget reconciliation and workforce planning.
·Provide specialist education and training to staff and students.
·Ensure that education delivered has a structured curriculum that is theory-driven, evidence-based and resource-effective, has supporting materials, and is documented.
·Establish 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
27. Be the co-lead for Aortopathy nursing, acting as a role model.
28. Deliver autonomous specialist practice to this group of patients, including independently requesting imaging at an appropriate timeframe (following IRMER guidelines) and interpretation of the results.
29. Run a bi-weekly nurse-led Aortopathy clinic seeing patients with a diagnosis of thoracic aortic dilation / aneurysm or patients who have had a surgical repair to a thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection. This will facilitate close surveillance and timely surgery where indicated.
·Identify patients that achieve the criteria for genetic testing, counselling the patient accordingly and facilitating the test and actioning results.
·Take a family history related to Aortopathy for new patients and advise about screening of family members.
·Facilitate the alternate week Aortopathy MDT, presenting patients and arranging onward investigations, along with communication to clinicians and to the patient.
·Maintain a database of Aortopathy patients to support their management.
30. Act as a liaison between the clinical team, the patient and their partner/family/carers throughout their care.
31. Provide age-specific information, education and support to individual patients at these clinics by explaining the diagnosis and management plan.
32. Provide age-appropriate information and lifestyle advice to ensure they are fully competent to manage their own condition and healthcare.
33. Provide specialist advice on contraception and pre-pregnancy counselling specific to the individual patient.
34. Provide information on gaining reimbursement for travel expenses and access to social care benefits and support.
35. Provide a telephone advice line for patients, carers and other health care professionals in order to influence better care and outcomes for patients.
36. Ensure full and accurate records of relevant information are documented in the patients' medical notes.
37. Make clinical judgements about patients and adjust treatment plans accordingly in order to achieve treatment targets.
38. Participate in the expansion of nursing practice using protocols or Independent Nurse Prescribing, as required of the role.
39. Work closely and network with other nurse specialists to share practice and provide a uniformly high standard of care.
40. Refer patients with complex medical and social needs to community adult support services as their condition requires.
41. 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
·Attend mandatory training updates as required.
·Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.
·Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
·Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager
·Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service.
Person specification
Qualifications and experience
Essential criteria
42. Significant cardiac experience
43. Evidence of post registration cardiac studies
44. Teaching and Assessing qualification
Desirable criteria
45. Experience with Aortopathy patients
46. MSc or working towards
Skills
Essential criteria
47. Evidence of autonomous practice
48. Evidence of organisational skills
49. Management / leadership experience
50. Significant post registration advanced nursing experience in cardiac nursing
Desirable criteria
51. Physical assessment
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria
52. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
53. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
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