Admiral Nurse

NHS; Remote; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in the UK is looking for a Specialist Dementia Nurse to provide expert care and emotional support to families dealing with dementia. This role involves managing complex cases, delivering relationship-centred care, and guiding the Dementia Adviser team. The ideal candidate will be a registered nurse with significant experience in dementia care and strong leadership skills. Excellent professional development opportunities are provided within a supportive team environment.

Benefits

Comprehensive training programs

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Significant post-registration clinical experience supporting people with dementia and their families.
• Evidence of completing holistic nursing assessments.
• Experience of leading and mentoring staff.

Responsibilities

• Support complex cases alongside Dementia Advisers.
• Provide specialist nursing support to people with dementia.
• Collect and review data to evaluate the service.

Skills

Person-centred care

Strong communication skills

Clinical leadership

Therapeutic skills

IT proficiency (MS Office)

Education

Registered Nurse (RN/RNMH/RNLD)

Postgraduate qualification in relevant field

Evidence of continued professional development

Job description

Job Overview

Admiral Nurses are specialist dementia nurses who offer expert practical, clinical and emotional support to families involved in the care of a person living with dementia with complex needs. This role is a continuation of a successful collaboration between Dementia UK and Age UK Oxfordshire, building on a two‑year pilot. Age UK Oxfordshire has delivered the Dementia Oxfordshire service for over 10 years and embedded an Admiral Nurse in the service in 2023.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Support the Dementia Adviser team to manage complex cases, taking referrals from the Dementia Advisers and working alongside them to manage these complex cases.
• Take a proactive role in educating and influencing the wider health and social care system in Oxfordshire to improve dementia care in the county.
• Guide and support the delivery of relationship‑centred dementia care to improve the experience of carers and families affected by dementia with complex needs within Dementia Oxfordshire services.
• Provide specialist nursing support to people with dementia, their families and carers using the principles of the Admiral Nurse Assessment Framework for carers and families.
• Identify complexities of dementia using advanced communication, negotiation and diplomacy skills and provide clinical leadership to Dementia Advisers and Young Onset Dementia Advisers on the care of people with dementia and their carers and families with complex care needs from peri‑diagnosis to post bereavement support.
• Advise family carers and other health care professionals on the care of people with dementia with complex care needs and contribute to the development of person‑centred care plans for families who are caring for a person with dementia where appropriate.
• Work in partnership with colleagues to provide support and information to families, including advance care planning, best interest decisions and end of life care.
• Provide guidance relating to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and ensure all legal requirements relating to the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards 2009 are considered and adhered to in relation to patient care.
• Provide clinical leadership support and guidance to others on the delivery of evidence‑based practice in dementia care within Dementia Oxfordshire and advise and support on the development and delivery of work streams as part of the service dementia strategy where appropriate.
• Facilitate and support the development and delivery of innovative dementia training and education to staff, improving competence and confidence in line with best practice and guidance.
• Work proactively with key local and national stakeholders to develop integrated care pathways and holistic models of care, through dissemination of specialist skills and knowledge where appropriate.
• Provide advice and support on complex care transitions for people with dementia and their carers and families to reduce the frequency of crisis situations (including people with young onset dementia).
• Collect and review quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate and audit the Admiral Nurse Service within Dementia Oxfordshire; interpret and use data to make innovative recommendations for service improvement and development.
• Maintain clinical records, ensuring they are up to date, complete and stored appropriately in line with local and national guidance.
• Participate in recruitment of service staff including Dementia Advisers and Young Onset Dementia Advisers; contribute to advisory groups developing the Dementia Oxfordshire service and the Admiral Nurse role within that service at Age UK Oxfordshire.
• Lead, manage and develop the Admiral Nurse component of the Dementia Oxfordshire service, continuously seeking improvement opportunities in collaboration with the Advisory Group.

Qualifications & Experience

• Registered Nurse (RN/RNMH/RNLD).
• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant field, or evidence of specialist training/education within the field of dementia equivalent to this level.
• Evidence of continued professional development/training in relevant areas, including dementia and leadership.

Person Specification – Essential

• Ability to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy.
• Ability to treat families affected by dementia with respect and dignity.
• Working together for people with dementia and carers.
• Demonstrates compassion and a caring nature.
• Demonstrates a commitment to quality of care.
• Demonstrates integrity and respect.

Skills and Knowledge – Essential

• Demonstrate the 6 Admiral Nurse competencies: person‑centred care, therapeutic skills, triadic relationship‑centred working, sharing knowledge, delivering best practice, and critical reflective practice.
• Clinical leadership skills: strong communication skills, facilitation/presentation skills, ability to influence change, decision making, advocacy, expert clinical practice, and IT proficiency (MS Office).
• Knowledge of Admiral Nursing, national dementia policy and strategy, evidence‑based dementia practice, and clinical leadership understanding.
• Driving licence and access to a car.

Experience – Essential

• Significant post‑registration clinical experience supporting people with dementia and their carers/families.
• Experience completing holistic nursing assessments and providing bio‑psychosocial interventions.
• Experience working as an autonomous practitioner.
• Experience of professional supervision and developing and mentoring staff.
• Experience of audit/evaluation of clinical practice.
• Experience of collaborative/multi‑agency working.
• Experience of facilitating and delivering training/development of staff.

Experience – Desirable

• Experience in service‑specific setting.
• Experience of leading/managing a service.
• Experience of supporting practice development/quality improvement.
• Experience of service monitoring, reporting and evaluation.

Desirable – Further Training

• Further specialist training/education within the field of dementia equivalent to Master level.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (CRB) is required to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.

Employer Details

Age UK Oxfordshire
Barton Lane, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3YT