Associate Clinical Nurse Specialist

The Methodist Church in Britain; Preston; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS pension transfer eligibility

36 days annual leave + buy additional

Free parking on site

Wellbeing support

Job summary

St Catherine's Hospice invites applications for an Associate Clinical Nurse Specialist to join the established Community Nurse Specialist team. The post-holder will manage a specialist caseload, provide palliative care, advance care planning and bereavement support across hospice and community settings.

Applicants should be an NMC registered nurse with significant post-registration and palliative care experience, and hold a full UK driving licence with insured vehicle.

Qualifications

• Registered nurse on the NMC Register.
• Degree in a health-related subject, or significant clinical experience.
• Significant post-registration experience with evidence of professional development.
• Palliative care experience across all settings, including non-malignant illness.
• Advanced knowledge of medicines and therapies used in palliative care.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of patients with moderate needs, completing assessments and planning interventions.
• Use autonomous clinical reasoning and risk assessment to make timely decisions.
• Contribute to advance and anticipatory care planning with patients, families, carers and colleagues.
• Provide specialist advice, signposting and bereavement support within scope of competence.
• Take part in the 24-hour advice line, including overnight, and escalate clinical risk as needed.
• Contribute to MDT discussions, discharge planning, and case conferences.

Skills

Professional communication

Decision making

Time management

Team working

English proficiency

IT skills

Education

NMC registration

Health-related degree or substantial clinical experience

Job description

This Associate Clinical Nurse Specialist post at St Catherine's Hospice is one of three new roles strengthening the established Community Nurse Specialist team across hospice and community. The post holder manages a specialist caseload, providing palliative care, advance care planning and bereavement support to patients, families and carers. Duties include taking part in the 24-hour advice line, including overnight cover, and the hospice's university links offer teaching and research. Applicants need NMC registration with significant post-registration experience and a full UK driving licence with an insured vehicle.

What the job involves

• Manage a caseload of patients with moderate needs, completing assessments and planning interventions
• Use autonomous clinical reasoning and risk assessment to make timely decisions
• Contribute to advance and anticipatory care planning with patients, families, carers and colleagues
• Provide specialist advice, signposting and bereavement support within scope of competence
• Take part in the 24-hour advice line, including overnight, assessing urgency and escalating clinical risk
• Contribute to MDT discussions, discharge planning, case conferences and GSF meetings with GPs
• Prescribe medicines once qualified as an NMP, within the formulary and St Catherine's policy
• Complete orders and procedures such as Verification of Death and Unified Do Not Actively Resuscitate orders
• Support clinical audit, education, research and service improvement, including projects
• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous care records, referrals and clinical notes
• Provide specialist input into incident reviews, complaints, safeguarding and medicines issues, reporting incidents via Vantage
• Liaise with external organisations, including CQC and CHC, for patients with additional needs

What’s required

Qualifications

• Registered nurse on the NMC Register
• Degree in a health-related subject, or significant clinical experience

Experience

• Significant post-registration experience, with evidence of professional development
• Palliative care experience across all settings, including non-malignant illness
• Advanced knowledge of medicines and therapies used in palliative care

Skills & knowledge

• Professional, sensitive communication, with advanced communication skills or willingness to work towards them
• Confident, reasonable decision-making using own initiative, with awareness of own limits
• Good time management and excellent team working
• Understanding of contemporary medico-legal issues and the Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Proficient written and verbal English and good IT skills
• Understanding of health and safety issues in healthcare

Checks & eligibility

• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle insured for business use

Other

• Commitment to personal and professional development
• Commitment to the Hospice values and to equality, diversity and inclusion
• Flexible, proactive working approach and resilience in palliative care

Nice to have

• Palliative care qualification
• Experience in a community setting
• Significant teaching, coaching and mentoring experience
• Teaching and assessing in clinical practice
• Non-medical prescribing qualification, or willingness to work towards one
• Experience of completing audits and reporting findings
• Experience of leading projects and improvement programmes

What’s offered

• NHS pension transfer eligibility (if applicable) or hospice pension
• 36 days annual leave including bank holidays, pro rata for part time, plus a buy additional leave scheme
• Additional wellbeing day on birthday or nearest working day
• Life assurance scheme
• Free parking on site
• Free confidential counselling through wellbeing support
• Blue light scheme and cycle to work scheme
• Regular clinical supervision and access to specialist palliative care education