Multiple Sclerosis Specialist Nurse

Bedfordshire Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust; Bedford, Luton; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Bedfordshire is seeking an experienced Registered Nurse to join the Neurology Service as a Band 7 Multiple Sclerosis Specialist Nurse. You will manage a defined caseload, run nurse-led clinics, and provide expert assessment, symptom management and treatment monitoring across primary, secondary and community care.

You will work with the MS Team and Lead Nurse - Neurology to drive education, audit and service improvement, while developing MS pathways

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to clinical practice.
• Non-Medical Prescribing qualification or willingness to undertake.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist nursing care to people with MS, managing a defined caseload and delivering nurse-led clinics, specialist assessment, symptom management, treatment monitoring, patient and carer education, and multidisciplinary working.
• Coordinate care across hospital, primary and community services, and contribute to medicines optimisation, teaching, audit, quality improvement, and development of MS care pathways.

Skills

Verbal and written communication

Autonomy and clinical judgement

Organisation and time-management

Team collaboration

Education

Degree-qualified nurse

Job description

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Registered Nurse to join our Neurology Service as a Band 7 Multiple Sclerosis Specialist Nurse. This is an exciting opportunity to work as part of the established MS Team and wider Neurology Team across Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, providing specialist care and support to people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

The post holder will manage a defined caseload, undertake specialist nurse-led clinics, provide expert assessment, symptom management, treatment monitoring, education and ongoing support, and work closely with patients, carers and the multidisciplinary team across primary, secondary and tertiary care. The role also includes opportunities to contribute to service improvement, education, audit, research and the development of MS pathways and standards of care.

We welcome applications from experienced nurses with strong transferable skills in neurology, long-term conditions, acute or community care. Previous MS experience would be advantageous but is not essential, as we are keen to support the development of an experienced nurse with the clinical skills, professional judgement and enthusiasm to develop specialist expertise in Multiple Sclerosis.

The successful candidate will work closely with the MS Team and Lead Nurse - Neurology, while exercising appropriate clinical autonomy within their professional scope of practice and agreed service pathways.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide specialist nursing care to people with Multiple Sclerosis, managing a defined caseload and delivering nurse-led clinics, specialist assessment, symptom management, treatment monitoring, patient education and ongoing support.

Working closely with the MS Team, wider Neurology Team and Lead Nurse - Neurology, the post holder will coordinate care across hospital, primary and community services and work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team. The role will also involve medicines optimisation and non-medical prescribing where appropriately qualified, alongside contributions to education, audit, quality improvement and the ongoing development of MS care.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will work as an autonomous specialist practitioner within the MS Team and wider Neurology Service, providing expert nursing care to people with Multiple Sclerosis. Responsibilities will include management of a defined caseload, delivery of nurse-led clinics, specialist assessment, symptom management, treatment monitoring, patient and carer education, and multidisciplinary working.

The post holder will work closely with the MS Team, Lead Nurse Neurology, consultant neurologists and colleagues across primary, secondary and community care. The role will also include contributions to medicines optimisation, teaching, audit, quality improvement and service development within agreed governance arrangements.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role and responsibilities.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Adult Nurse with current NMC registration.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to clinical practice.
• Non-Medical Prescribing qualification or willingness to undertake.

Desirable

• Non-Medical Prescribing qualification.
• Relevant teaching, mentorship or practice assessor qualification.
• Postgraduate qualification in neuroscience, long-term conditions, Advanced Clinical Practice or another relevant specialty.
• Advanced clinical assessment qualification.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Significant post-registration nursing experience.
• Experience caring for patients with complex or long-term conditions.
• Experience of clinical assessment, care planning and patient/carer support.
• Experience of multidisciplinary working, audit, service evaluation or quality improvement.

Desirable

• Experience caring for people with MS or another neurological condition.
• Experience of managing a caseload and/or nurse-led clinics.
• Knowledge of MS symptoms, treatments and evidence-based guidance.
• Experience of treatment monitoring, medicines optimisation or specialist therapies.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work autonomously and exercise sound clinical judgement within professional scope.
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively within the MS Team, wider Neurology Team and multidisciplinary team, or similar setting.

Desirable

• Advanced clinical assessment skills.
• Teaching or presentation experience.
• Evidence of clinical leadership.
• Experience of service improvement or pathway development.

Personal / Other

Essential

• Demonstrates Trust values and professional behaviours.
• Commitment to developing specialist knowledge and skills in Multiple Sclerosis.
• Recognises when consultation, collaboration or escalation is required.
• Willing and able to work cross-site and undertake community/home visits where required.

Desirable

• Evidence of reflective practice.
• Links with relevant neurological or specialist nursing networks.
• Experience of patient/carer engagement initiatives.
• Experience of research or innovation.

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.

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).

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