Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialist

NHS; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking an experienced Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialist to lead high-quality care for patients living with dementia. This pivotal role involves providing expert support, training staff, and leading quality initiatives within the organization. The ideal candidate will have a robust nursing background, excellent communication, and leadership skills, and will be committed to improving patient outcomes. Both full-time and part-time working options are available, plus a competitive salary range, making this an excellent opportunity for professionals passionate about dementia care.

Benefits

On-site leisure facilities

Flexible working arrangements

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant clinical experience in specialty with expert nursing skills.
• Evidence of leading service improvement and initiating change.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion in care.

Responsibilities

• Lead dementia care initiatives and quality improvements.
• Provide education and training for staff.
• Monitor compliance with national dementia standards.

Skills

Leadership

Excellent communication

Analytical skills

Teaching and facilitation

Education

Registered Nurse Educated to Degree Level

Post-Registration Qualification in Specialty

Tools

Digital systems (Epic EPR)

Job description

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) to join the Harm free Care Cambridge University Hospitals. This is an exciting opportunity to lead and deliver high quality, person centred care for patients living with dementia across our hospital.

As a Dementia CNS, you will act as an expert resource for clinical teams, patients, and families, ensuring best practice in dementia care is embedded throughout the organisation. You will provide specialist assessment, advice, and support, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to improve patient experience and outcomes.

You will play a key role in:

• Leading on dementia care initiatives and quality improvement projects.
• Providing education and training to staff to enhance dementia awareness and skills.
• Driving compliance with national dementia standards and local policies.
• Acting as an advocate for patients and carers, ensuring dignity and respect are maintained.

This role requires excellent communication, leadership, and organisational skills, with the ability to influence practice and deliver change. You will have a strong clinical background in dementia care, ideally with experience in an acute hospital setting.

Main duties of the job

The Band 7 Dementia Specialist Nurse provides expert clinical care and strategic leadership for patients with dementia and delirium at CUH. The role focuses on delivering person centred care, implementing the CUH Dementia Strategy, monitoring KPIs, and ensuring compliance with national standards.

Key responsibilities include supporting staff education, coordinating Enhanced Care Teams, engaging carers, and using data to drive quality improvement.

This position combines clinical expertise with leadership to enhance patient safety and experience.

About us

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the country. It comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital. We provide accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge and regional and national specialist services. It's a great place to nurse, work and live.

You will work on a vibrant hospital campus with a friendly community feel; we have excellent facilities to practise your skills and abilities to support your career pathway and development. Our values of Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent support the delivery of outstanding care. We have a fully electronic patient record system that is improving health-care quality; this is transforming services, improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.

Why choose Cambridge University Hospitals?

• Our values and reputation for outstanding care
• Opportunities to experience a range of specialities
• Career and development opportunities
• Preceptorship and mentoring programmes delivered by a dedicated clinical education support team
• Research experience and opportunities
• Lovely location and quality of life
• Excellent schools/colleges and transport links (road, rail and air)

Job details

Date posted: 18 December 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year p.a. pro rata

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number: 180-F-257306

Job locations: Addenbrookes Hospital-Corporate, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ

Key responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have approved Graduate visa or have completed your course and applied prior to the anticipated start, or the Trust has agreed to sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and completed studies within 3 months of anticipated start.

For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 11 January 2026

Interviews are due to be held on 20 January 2026

Benefits

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person Specification

Qualifications Essential:

• Registered Nurse educated to degree level
• Post-registration qualification in specialty
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Teaching and facilitation skills
• Advanced communication skills or commitment to undertake

Desirable:

• Master's degree or working towards
• Advanced clinical assessment qualification
• Research module or equivalent

Experience Essential:

• Significant clinical experience in specialty with demonstrable expert nursing skills
• Evidence of leading service improvement and initiating change
• Experience of formal/informal teaching and staff development
• Experience of multidisciplinary working

Desirable Experience:

• Experience in research dissemination and quality improvement projects
• Regional or national networking experience

Knowledge Essential:

• Strong understanding of evidence-based practice and clinical governance
• Knowledge of dementia/delirium pathways and complexities
• Awareness of safeguarding, MCA and DoLS compliance

Desirable Knowledge:

• Knowledge of broader strategic issues affecting specialty and NHS priorities

Skills Essential:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Leadership and influencing skills
• Ability to work autonomously and manage own workload effectively
• Competence in digital systems (Epic EPR) and data analysis
• Ability to teach and mentor staff and patients
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration

Desirable Skills:

• Advanced communication/counselling qualification
• Project management skills

Additional Requirements Essential:

• Professional conduct in line with NMC Code
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing service needs
• The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.

Desirable Additional Requirements:

• Experience of contributing to business planning and service development

Legal and regulatory

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Addenbrookes Hospital-Corporate

Hills Road

Cambridge

CB2 0QQ

https://www.cuh.nhs.uk