Lead Nurse in Dermatology - St Helens Hospital

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; St Helens; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in St Helens is seeking a Lead Nurse in Dermatology. The successful candidate will provide leadership and advanced clinical nursing expertise within a multidisciplinary team. Responsibilities include managing clinician advising, developing nurse-led clinics, and ensuring optimal patient care outcomes following evidence-based practices. Comprehensive management of service budgets is also essential.

Benefits

NHS pension scheme

Ongoing professional development

Support for flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with extensive clinical experience in dermatology.
• Ability to work autonomously and lead a team.
• Sound knowledge of evidence-based practices in nursing.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert leadership in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Manage service budget and advocate for patients.
• Develop and run nurse-led clinics.

Skills

Leadership in nursing

Clinical expertise in dermatology

Management of multidisciplinary teams

Patient advocacy

Education

Nursing qualification

Job description

Overview

An exciting opportunity to join the Trust as a Lead Nurse in Dermatology based at St Helens Hospital. The post-holder will provide expert leadership and management within a multi-disciplinary team and deliver highly advanced specialist/clinical nursing expertise for dermatology patients. The post holder will advise primary and secondary care clinicians about setting up, implementing, delivering and evaluating patient care using evidence-based practice and will provide a service in accordance with national, regional and local guidance, standards, protocols and policies to ensure the best outcomes for patients. The post-holder will contribute to senior management and governance frameworks within the care group and be line manager to band 7 and band 6 nurse specialists/nurse practitioners.

A job plan will be agreed with the post holder and manager to be reviewed annually as part of appraisal and will include appropriate clinical supervision. The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change. Interview Date – To Be Confirmed.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert leadership and management within a multi-disciplinary team and deliver highly advanced specialist/clinical nursing expertise for dermatology patients.
• Advise primary and secondary care clinicians about the setting up, implementation, delivery and evaluation of patient care utilising evidence-based practice.
• Deliver a service in accordance with national, regional and local guidance, standards and protocols and policies to ensure positive patient outcomes.
• Contribute to senior management and governance frameworks within the care group and act as line manager to band 7 and band 6 nurse specialists/nurse practitioners.
• Manage the service budget in conjunction with Directorate Manager and ADM; ensure KPI data is collected and submitted to commissioners; act as first point of contact for commissioner queries.
• Work autonomously, managing a caseload within the specialty while functioning as part of the multidisciplinary team; deliver individualised and personalised direct patient care.
• Assess emergencies in the specialty, interpret information and lead others to take appropriate action.
• Advocate for patients to ensure a patient-centred approach and meet NHS, NHFD and Best Practice standards.
• Coordinate provision of specialist services within hospital and community settings, liaising with multidisciplinary colleagues; develop and run nurse-led clinics with medical staff input.
• Autonomously work in nurse-led clinics; prescribe medications and topical agents for dermatological conditions as an independent and supplementary prescriber within competence.
• Provide professional and clinical leadership; act as a resource for education and clinical expertise; contribute to patient education and engagement with carers and families.
• Support and enable patients and carers to make informed treatment decisions; promote high-quality clinical care and evidence-based practice; develop the specialist service through clinical standards.
• Lead on expert practice and advice in assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of patient care; maintain effective working relationships with clinicians, practitioners and managers.
• Educate and involve patients, carers and relatives; incorporate psychological support and coping strategies as required; engage service users through user groups and open days.
• Coordinate and lead outreach clinical sessions across primary and secondary care as required; lead on specialist procedures and clinical pathways; supervise prioritisation of cases for treatment/surgery.
• Maintain records, document care plans, and communicate with medical/nursing staff; lead nurse-led clinics using relevant protocols; initiate medication reviews with consultants; liaise with primary and secondary care clinicians.
• Ensure services support management of conditions at home with MDT involvement; be a contact for patients; provide advice and support to patients, families and carers; attend departmental meetings to develop the Dermatology Service.
• Maintain concise, accurate and auditable records; dictate and sign letters to GPs and other healthcare professionals; manage telephone queries and clinic appointments; work independently and as part of the wider team.
• Ensure all patient care is delivered with professionalism and quality standards.

Line Management / Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervise staff as required by the service; line manage band 7 and band 6 nurse specialists/nurse practitioners; act as team leader when required and support recruitment and deployment decisions.
• Authorize equipment use according to financial instructions; monitor resources and support efficiencies; implement HR processes such as sickness/absence management.
• Collaborate with ADM and DM to ensure sustainability, capacity and capability; contribute to annual business planning with clinical insight; influence commissioning decisions and demonstrate KPI achievement.
• Manage budgets for the service with ADM/DM; ensure KPI and CQUIN data are collated and submitted on time.

Quality, Teaching & Training

• Facilitate a high-quality, cost-effective specialist service through monitoring, audits and quality initiatives; lead developments to promote high-quality patient-focused services.
• Attend and participate in multi-professional team meetings; set, monitor and review standards of care and initiate corrective actions; address unsafe environments.
• Coordinate the development of teaching and education programmes; support patient self-management; lead patient education development in line with Trust policy.
• Liaise with Practice Education Facilitators to develop learning attachments for students; support CPD for nursing colleagues; gain learner feedback to improve education provision; contribute to local/regional specialty curriculum development and advise on specialty training commissioning.
• Assess educational needs and stay up to date with clinical and nursing developments in line with NMC requirements; raise awareness of dermatology conditions through organisation-wide education.

Research, Audit & Governance

• Monitor care standards and lead improvements through benchmarking, audit and research; apply evidence-based care and disseminate findings to staff.
• Support the team/care group in preparing for internal and external assessments (e.g., quality ward rounds, CQC); lead Serious Untoward Incidents (SUI) reviews and manage patient safety incidents and complaints when required.
• Ensure lessons learned are used to develop patient-responsive services; attend governance meetings as required; submit activity data/annual reports; identify and submit research proposals with local/regional approvals; promote nursing research and publish outcomes.
• Utilise research findings to improve specialist patient care and disseminate information; participate in relevant clinical research trials; lead and contribute to audits within the specialty with colleagues.
• Lead reporting of clinical incidents/concerns and address safety/quality issues; supervise nursing colleagues to ensure NMC Medicines Act compliance and adherence to policies and protocols.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value diverse skills, perspectives and experience. We are committed to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria (Disability Confident) and to armed forces veterans under Guaranteed Interview Schemes where applicable. We operate anonymous shortlisting; equality monitoring information is used to review recruitment practices and to offer disability adjustments. Flexible working is supported, with NHS terms and conditions and related rights.

Additional Information

The Trust aims to recruit and retain staff across our sites; we may close vacancies early if a sufficient number of applications are received. We encourage applicants to review the Trust’s values (We are KIND, OPEN, INCLUSIVE) and supporting documents. Details on sponsorship, DBS checks, eVisa updates, and UK immigration policy are provided within the job posting. The Trust serves a population of over 600,000 across 21 sites and includes acute, primary, community and specialist regional services.