Cardiology Nurse Specialist

Merseywestlancs; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking NHS Trust as a nurse in the cardiology team, where you will play a vital role in patient care. This exciting opportunity allows you to work independently and collaboratively within a dynamic team, focusing on managing patients with cardiac conditions. You will assess and educate patients, lead rehabilitation programs, and contribute to clinical excellence. With a commitment to staff development and patient-centered care, this position offers a pathway for career progression in a supportive environment. If you are passionate about making a difference in patients' lives, this role is perfect for you.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

27 days annual leave

NHS discounts

Employee of the Month recognition

Health and Wellbeing programme

Qualifications

• Must have RGN and current NMC registration.
• Experience in acute cardiology and managing chest pain is essential.

Responsibilities

• Assess and manage patients with cardiac chest pain in emergency settings.
• Conduct nurse-led post-MI clinics and provide cardiac rehabilitation.
• Work collaboratively with healthcare teams to ensure patient care.

Skills

Cardiology experience

Coronary care experience

ECG interpretation

Clinical history taking

Communication skills

Leadership

Time management

Patient-focused care

Education

Registered General Nurse (RGN)

Degree level education or equivalent experience

ILS/ALS certification

Independent prescriber

Tools

Nursing protocols

Diagnostic tests

Job description

We want talented and enthusiastic people from all backgrounds to join #TeamMWL. With us, you can learn, grow, and develop yourself and your career, realizing your true ambitions and aspirations.

Whatever you’re looking for in your career, you’ll find it here at MWL.

Job overview

An exciting and challenging opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, imaginative, and motivated nurse to work with the cardiology team.

The Nurse will function independently and work within a team of nurses, doctors, and other medical practitioners. The ideal candidate will currently be working within cardiology and have coronary care experience.

Following a period of induction training, you will be expected to work independently within the Emergency Department and Acute Admissions Units assessing and managing patients with cardiac chest pain. Undertake nurse-led post-MI clinics and deliver Phase one cardiac rehabilitation to patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MI. Assess and manage patients with heart failure both in the inpatient and outpatient setting, offering education and support to patients, carers, and families.

The post holder must exhibit excellent communication and organizational skills. There is scope to develop within the team and acquire the necessary skills for career progression.

The successful candidate would work across all areas of the nursing team but with initial time spent within the ACS service allowing for service progression. The ideal candidate would be a non-medical prescriber or have a desire to pursue this quickly upon appointment.

An Enhanced DBS Certificate with the checking of Adults’ Barred Lists is required for this post.

Shortlisting will commence w/c 6.01.2025

Interview Date: TBC

Main duties of the job

• Work within the existing ACS and HF nursing team to provide service within the trust demonstrating expert knowledge within the area of ACS and HF.
• Autonomously review patients presenting to A&E or AMU with cardiac sounding chest pain or Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). Independently take a history from the patient and liaise with clinical teams to facilitate safe discharge, with relevant follow-up or admission to the appropriate area.
• Autonomously undertake nurse-led post-myocardial infarction clinics. Assess the patient’s recovery, symptoms, and treatment. Then, working within agreed protocols, make recommendations regarding medications and treatment whilst exercising judgment, discretion, and decision-making in clinical care.
• Independently assess relevant cardiology patients in non-cardiac areas. Request appropriate diagnostic tests; interpret the results and provide evidence-based management plans based on the findings. Work with the existing heart failure team to ensure all patients with a suspected diagnosis of heart failure have undergone the relevant investigations which will confirm or refute diagnosis.

Working for our organisation

St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the only acute Trust in Cheshire and Merseyside and one of the few in the country to achieve OUTSTANDING rated by the Care Quality Commission.

We provide a full range of acute adult services to our local population of circa 360,000 and provide tertiary services across the North West, North Wales, and Isle of Man. We are a Major Trauma Unit and the Mersey Regional Burns Unit.

Our '5 Star Patient Care' strategy is at the heart of what we do; supporting our vision to provide world-class services for all our patients by getting it right for every patient, every time.

• Acute Trust of the Year HSJ Awards November 2019
• Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• Best acute Trust in the North West for quality of care (NHS Staff Survey 2021)
• Best place to work in the North West (NHS Staff Survey 2021)
• Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

In the NHS Staff Survey 2021 the Trust scored the highest marks in the North West for the following areas:

• Standard of care
• Best place to work
• Care of patients being the Trust’s priority
• Staff morale
• Providing safe environments for staff

Please see the attached Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our benefits for staff. Accessible version available upon request.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

• Assist the heart failure team to ensure that all relevant patients are educated on correct treatment, undergone appropriate investigations, and reviewed at least once prior to discharge in accordance with NICE guidelines.
• See HF patients in clinic to assess condition, symptoms, and treatment. Make changes/additions to current medication as appropriate and communicate with GPs and community nursing team.
• Co-ordinate and implement cardiology care in conjunction with relevant healthcare professionals and multidisciplinary teams to ensure appropriate ACS and Heart Failure treatment; investigations and follow-up are undertaken.
• Discuss complex patients with a senior member of the cardiology team and take appropriate action post-discussion.
• Complete a risk factor assessment and offer appropriate lifestyle advice when appropriate.
• Liaise and support primary and secondary care clinicians with cardiology clinical care and management.
• Administer intravenous ferinject/frusemide for day case patients in accordance with agreed protocol.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Adhere to the NMC Code of Practice and The Scope of Professional Practice.
• Identify, contribute to, or lead on some aspects in the development and dissemination of evidence-based guidelines, standards, and protocols as required to ensure nursing care is appropriate and consistent with clinical guidelines.
• In accordance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the post holder will actively participate in the prevention and control of infection within the capacity of their role. The Act requires the post holder to attend infection prevention and control training on induction and at regular updates and to take responsibility for the practical application of the training in the course of their work. Infection prevention and control must be included in any personal development plan and/or appraisal.
• To report and record any untoward incidents.
• To assist in the promotion of effective communication with all staff, patients, relatives, and other departments as required.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Offer supervision and support to the community teams.
• Offer clinical supervision to other colleagues.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop, coordinate, and participate in cardiology education and training programmes and evaluate their effectiveness for key areas.
• Contribute to the Multi-disciplinary education and training provision/programme for healthcare professionals involved in cardiology complaints.
• Maintain and develop personal knowledge and skills in the field of cardiology nursing.
• Supervise and support junior doctors, nurses, students, and paramedics.

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• Undertake relevant audit projects and be responsible for collecting all required information such as MINAP and National HF data.
• Work in collaboration with the audit department to ensure correct data entry.
• In liaison with the relevant audit departments, be responsible for developing an audit tool and database.
• Provide regular reports/presentations on performance to appropriate personnel.
• Take appropriate action to improve performance as required.
• To comply with the Data Protection Policy of the Trust.
• Involvement in agreed cardiology research projects alongside the wider cardiology team as appropriate.

Person specification

Qualifications

• RGN
• Current NMC Registration
• Degree level education or equivalent experience.
• ILS/ALS
• Independent prescriber
• Clinical skills and examination course

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of working in the coronary care setting or recent/current experience in acute cardiology conditions.
• Experience of managing patients with chest pain in the emergency department.
• Knowledge and experience in managing patients with ACS in the Acute Trust Setting.
• Experience of providing phase 1 cardiac rehabilitation.
• Experience of post MI clinics.
• Knowledge and experience in managing patients with heart failure in the Acute Trust Setting.

Skills

• Highly specialised ECG interpretation skills.
• Competency in clinical history taking, care planning, and interpretation of cardiac investigations.
• Ability to work across professional boundaries.
• Ability to prioritise work and organise time efficiently.
• Excellent communication/interpersonal skills.
• Work unsupervised and use own initiative.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership.

Other

• Highly self-motivated, conscientious in approach and pays attention to detail.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to work.
• Desire to do things better, to improve, to be more effective and efficient.
• Able to measure progress against target.
• Demonstrates a caring approach and is patient-focused.

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. You are part of an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust that is one of the best places to work for in England.

Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective, and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under-represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments to the application process, please contact [e-mail].

We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details, are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision-making process.

The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click here to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 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.

Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment.

If you have not already done so, you are therefore encouraged to enroll for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.

Flexible Working

We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that:

• All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
• There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
• Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.

At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to discuss flexible working options at the interview stage.

Working for Team MWL

Staff recognition is especially important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognize staff through Employee of the Month. Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals, we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata), and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offers a variety of services.

The Trust is a non-smoking environment across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS website.

You must ensure that your application, including personal statements and behavior examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI-generated.

Additional Information

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust's Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE, which can be found here.

An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey can be accessed in the supporting documents.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team MWL very soon.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.