Job overview
Clinical Nurse Specialist Heart Failure - Band 7 - 12 months FTC
We have an opportunity for an experienced heart failure nurse to work with our Integrated Heart Failure Team. We are looking for someone who is driven, enthusiastic and innovative with excellent experience and expertise in the care and management of patients with Heart Failure. You will work with our existing established Integrated Heart Failure Team within the hospital and community settings at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
In addition to managing a caseload of heart failure patients, the post holder will be involved in developing novel and innovative heart failure pathways to transform the way Heart Failure patients receive care. We are continuously reviewing and updating our ways of working, aiming to provide outstanding collaborative care across our Long Term Conditions services.
You will be an experienced and committed nurse who is motivated and energized to change the way services are delivered and improve patient outcomes. The role provides opportunities to work in both hospital and community settings.
We will offer ongoing supportive supervision in practice. The opportunity to undertake further study at advanced practice level is available.
The role requires you to have excellent communication skills and be confident to work under your own initiative.
Closing date: 5th October 2025
Interview date: 9th October 2025
Main duties of the job
In partnership with members of the multidisciplinary team the post holder will develop, implement and evaluate a seamless specialist service, ensuring that patients receive the highest standard of clinical care. They act as a lead specialist and will demonstrate a high level of expertise within the specialist service, providing specialist advice, education and support to health care professionals and patients. The post holder will actively undertake clinical audits and research within the specialist area. It is expected the post holder will spend 80% of their time in direct clinical care.
The post holder will be responsible for contributing to the ongoing development of clinical practice, research and standards of care within the service, including development of policies, protocols and guidelines and contribute to service developments in collaboration with multidisciplinary colleagues. Also ensures the safety and well being of services users, and always working in a manner that promotes dignity and human rights through the adoption of person centered care principles.
Working for our organisation
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
The Heart Failure team provides specialist care to patients with heart failure of all aetiologies, within the context of a multidisciplinary team. Working across acute and community based settings, the heart failure team promote patient well-being through optimum evidence based care and promotion patient self-management. The team are active in admission prevention through care co-ordination identifying factors, which impact on quality of life such as, co-morbidities, psychological and social issues. The team promotes symptom control across the continuum of care and advance care planning.
We are able to see patients in hospital, in their own home, and in our outpatient or community clinics. We work closely with GPs, hospital doctors, pharmacists, clinical scientists and community nurses, as well as other local hospitals and hospices, to support our patients and those important to them.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details on responsibilities.
Person specification
Skills
Essential criteria
1. Advanced clinical, managerial and leadership skills in speciality.
2. Proven listening / counselling skills with the ability to manage complex situation and appropriately deliver sensitive and difficult outcomes.
3. Evidence of teaching skills in particular teaching patients in how to manage their conditions and raise their awareness of their condition
4. Ability to clinically lead and influence staff.
5. Able to demonstrate an understanding of the National Agenda for Heart Failure
6. Ability to carry out audit and research
Desirable criteria
7. Ability to interpret and analyse complex data and finings
8. Undertake clinical and nursing reasearch
Values and Behaviour
Essential criteria
9. Values and behaviour
Experience
Essential criteria
10. Extensive experience of working autonomously at an advanced level within the specialist area delivering effective patient focused care.
11. Previous experience of student supervision and clinical education at undergraduate level
12. Experience of delivering patient advocacy
13. Experience of audit, research and evidence based care
Qualifications/ Education
Essential criteria
14. BSC/1st Degree (helath related) or equivalent qualification/training and experience
15. Post registration qualification in appropriate area of speciality or equivalent post qualification experience.
16. Mentorship Course
Desirable criteria
17. To have or working towards a Masters Degree
18. To have or working towards a non medical physical assessment course
Professional/ Statutory Registration
Essential criteria
19. RN1 or RN Child Registered Nurse on the NMC register. To hold the appropriate level for the area of speciality
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.