Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist

NHS; Northampton; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Part time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity awaits to join a dedicated Specialist Palliative Care Team at a leading hospital in Northampton. This role is perfect for a passionate nurse with expertise in palliative and end-of-life care, who will manage complex patient cases and provide essential support to both patients and staff. The position involves working closely with a multidisciplinary team to ensure seamless care delivery and high-quality support. Join a forward-thinking organization committed to enhancing patient experiences and making a significant impact in the community.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent with continuous professional development.
• Experience of working at band 6 or above in nursing.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of patients with complex symptoms.
• Facilitate effective management of patient referrals.
• Provide psychological support and holistic assessments.

Skills

Palliative Care Experience

Advanced Communication Skills

Autonomous Decision Making

Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration

Teaching and Education

Education

Degree in Nursing

Post Registration Course in Palliative Care

Advanced Communication Skills Training

Job description

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Specialist Palliative Care Team at Northampton General Hospital.

We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated nurse who is passionate about palliative and end of life care to join the hospital based Specialist Palliative Care Team.

Working as part of the Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care multidisciplinary team, the post holder will manage a caseload of patients with complex symptoms or support needs, ensuring they have timely access to expert symptom control, psychological support, information and advice.

Main duties of the job

As a conscientious and enthusiastic individual, you would work within a dynamic specialist team delivering palliative care to patients and those that are important to them, as well as supporting staff members at ward level across the trust through training and education.

You will possess palliative care experience and be responsible for managing a caseload of patients with specialist needs. The role covers a seven day specialist palliative care service within the hospital.

About us

Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

Our Excellence Values

CompassionAccountabilityRespectIntegrityCourageWe want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Date posted

25 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,148 to £52,809 a year Per annum / Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

265-7065723

Job locations

Northampton General Hospital

Cliftonville

Northampton

NN1 5BD

Job description Job responsibilities

To act as a core member of the Specialist Palliative Care multidisciplinary team

To facilitate the effective management of patients referred to the team ensuring their experience is seamless and of high quality.

To promote and support staff to embed the Five Priorities of Care.

To attend the weekly Specialist Palliative Care multidisciplinary team meeting and contribute to the discussion and patient assessment/care planning decisions.

To undertake a comprehensive holistic assessment of patient/carer needs, ensuring that results of patients holistic needs assessment are taken into account when decision making.

As a non-medical prescriber, prescribe and review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient need and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and local protocols whilst remaining within scope of practice.

To demonstrate advanced practice in planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care, documenting consultations in the hospital notes.

To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan of care, making revisions as necessary.

To provide Level 2 psychological support for patients and their carers, referring patient with complex needs to the Macmillan Clinical Psychologist if appropriate.

To act as a specialist resource to other healthcare professionals relating to Specialist Palliative Care providing expert nursing advice and support.

To act as a role model demonstrating high standards of holistic care and provide clinical leadership related to Specialist Palliative CareTo identify and meet the educational needs of patients and their carers.

To have specialist knowledge of the impact of advanced disease and the associated needs of patients and their family / those important to them.

To support the End of Life Care Practice Educator in the provision of trust wide education.To support the Palliative Care and End of Life care nurse in implementing strategies to enhance palliative and End of Life care across the trust.

To facilitate sensitive communication including conversations about Advance Care Planning, End of Life care and Preferred Place of Care / Place of Death with patients and those close to them.

To possess knowledge of the complex issues that may arise when informing carers about impending death and the appropriate strategies that can be employed in difficult circumstances.

To consider and if possible identify the patients Preferred Place of Care at the appropriate point in the illness experience, ensuring patients are able to be discharged to the place of their choice where possible.

Work in partnership with the Marie Curie Rapid Discharge Service/Macmillan Social Care Coordinator to facilitate complex/rapid dischargeTo identity patient/carer information needs and provide this in an appropriate written or verbal format.

Physical Resource

To support patients, their families and those important to them, ensuring their physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs are identified and met .

To demonstrate effective communication skills with patients/carers and the wider multidisciplinary team.

To demonstrate high levels of autonomy and advocacy, working independently in the absence of palliative medical cover.

To demonstrate an ability to work across organisational and professional boundaries.

To identity own personal development needs to work at advanced level and take appropriate action to ensure that these are met.

To maintain a personal professional profile and ensure NMC revalidation requirements are met.

Human Resources

To participate in the formal review process and plan future personal development and competencies tobe achieved.

Information Resources

To participate in the collection and retrieval of activity data in order to monitor and evaluate the specialist nursing service.

To contribute to the maintenance of concise, accurate patient records including data entry onto team database.

Research & Development

To undertake/participate in audit/research projects related to palliative and end of life care.

Job description Job responsibilities

To act as a core member of the Specialist Palliative Care multidisciplinary team

To facilitate the effective management of patients referred to the team ensuring their experience is seamless and of high quality.

To promote and support staff to embed the Five Priorities of Care.

To attend the weekly Specialist Palliative Care multidisciplinary team meeting and contribute to the discussion and patient assessment/care planning decisions.

To undertake a comprehensive holistic assessment of patient/carer needs, ensuring that results of patients holistic needs assessment are taken into account when decision making.

As a non-medical prescriber, prescribe and review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient need and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and local protocols whilst remaining within scope of practice.

To demonstrate advanced practice in planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care, documenting consultations in the hospital notes.

To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan of care, making revisions as necessary.

To provide Level 2 psychological support for patients and their carers, referring patient with complex needs to the Macmillan Clinical Psychologist if appropriate.

To act as a specialist resource to other healthcare professionals relating to Specialist Palliative Care providing expert nursing advice and support.

To act as a role model demonstrating high standards of holistic care and provide clinical leadership related to Specialist Palliative CareTo identify and meet the educational needs of patients and their carers.

To have specialist knowledge of the impact of advanced disease and the associated needs of patients and their family / those important to them.

To support the End of Life Care Practice Educator in the provision of trust wide education.To support the Palliative Care and End of Life care nurse in implementing strategies to enhance palliative and End of Life care across the trust.

To facilitate sensitive communication including conversations about Advance Care Planning, End of Life care and Preferred Place of Care / Place of Death with patients and those close to them.

To possess knowledge of the complex issues that may arise when informing carers about impending death and the appropriate strategies that can be employed in difficult circumstances.

To consider and if possible identify the patients Preferred Place of Care at the appropriate point in the illness experience, ensuring patients are able to be discharged to the place of their choice where possible.

Work in partnership with the Marie Curie Rapid Discharge Service/Macmillan Social Care Coordinator to facilitate complex/rapid dischargeTo identity patient/carer information needs and provide this in an appropriate written or verbal format.

Physical Resource

To support patients, their families and those important to them, ensuring their physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs are identified and met .

To demonstrate effective communication skills with patients/carers and the wider multidisciplinary team.

To demonstrate high levels of autonomy and advocacy, working independently in the absence of palliative medical cover.

To demonstrate an ability to work across organisational and professional boundaries.

To identity own personal development needs to work at advanced level and take appropriate action to ensure that these are met.

To maintain a personal professional profile and ensure NMC revalidation requirements are met.

Human Resources

To participate in the formal review process and plan future personal development and competencies tobe achieved.

Information Resources

To participate in the collection and retrieval of activity data in order to monitor and evaluate the specialist nursing service.

To contribute to the maintenance of concise, accurate patient records including data entry onto team database.

Research & Development

To undertake/participate in audit/research projects related to palliative and end of life care.

Person Specification Education and training Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Advanced communication skills training
• Relevant teaching and assessing qualification
• Experience of working at band 6 or above
• Post registration course in palliative care or relevant field

Desirable

• Masters/equivalent or working towards
• Non medical prescriber qualification

Knowledge and experience Essential

• In depth Specialist Palliative and End of life care experience (or can demonstrate experience of working with patients with palliative care needs in the acute setting)
• Extensive post registration experience
• Credible professional with sound professional knowledge and judgement
• Ability to manage a caseload and work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Clear, thorough and up to date knowledge of palliative and end of life care nursing issues including statutory frameworks and national policy
• To have provided teaching and education to all levels of staff

Desirable

• To have initiated and actively participated in research or audit

Skills Essential

• Excellent communication and inter personal skills
• Ability to make autonomous decisions
• Ability to collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team and successfully negotiate with and influence others
• Ability to work on own initiative and prioritise work demonstrating excellent time management skills
• Ability to demonstrate flexible working patterns and be able to proactively respond to the changing needs of the service

Desirable

• Standard keyboard skills

Person Specification Education and training Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Advanced communication skills training
• Relevant teaching and assessing qualification
• Experience of working at band 6 or above
• Post registration course in palliative care or relevant field

Desirable

• Masters/equivalent or working towards
• Non medical prescriber qualification

Knowledge and experience Essential

• In depth Specialist Palliative and End of life care experience (or can demonstrate experience of working with patients with palliative care needs in the acute setting)
• Extensive post registration experience
• Credible professional with sound professional knowledge and judgement
• Ability to manage a caseload and work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Clear, thorough and up to date knowledge of palliative and end of life care nursing issues including statutory frameworks and national policy
• To have provided teaching and education to all levels of staff

Desirable

• To have initiated and actively participated in research or audit

Skills Essential

• Excellent communication and inter personal skills
• Ability to make autonomous decisions
• Ability to collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team and successfully negotiate with and influence others
• Ability to work on own initiative and prioritise work demonstrating excellent time management skills
• Ability to demonstrate flexible working patterns and be able to proactively respond to the changing needs of the service

Desirable

• Standard keyboard skills

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).

Additional information 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 Employer name

Northampton General Hospital

Address

Northampton General Hospital

Cliftonville

Northampton

NN1 5BD

Employer's website

https://www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Northampton General Hospital

Address

Northampton General Hospital

Cliftonville

Northampton

NN1 5BD

Employer's website

https://www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)