Palliative Specialist Nurse

PILGRIMS HOSPICES IN EAST KENT; Ashford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Modern environments

Professional development

NHS pension scheme

Cycle to Work

Free hospice parking

Blue Light Card discounts

Job summary

Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent is seeking a Palliative Specialist Nurse to join our multidisciplinary team in Ashford. The role provides expert, evidence-based palliative and end-of-life care to patients with life-limiting illness, working autonomously and as part of the team.

The post holder will undertake complex holistic assessments, lead care planning discussions, offer symptom management guidance, and contribute to governance, education and service improvement while delivering

Responsibilities

• Provides expert, evidence-based palliative and end-of-life care to patients with life-limiting illness
• Leads shared decision-making and advance care planning discussions
• Undertakes complex holistic assessments and provides specialist symptom management advice
• Contributes to coordination of care across organisational boundaries
• Provides clinical leadership and supports service development, governance and education

Job description

Palliative Specialist Nurse – Ashford

Location: Ashford

Status: Permanent, Part Time 22.5 hours

Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 per annum DOE, pro-rata

Closing date: 25/10/2026

Interview date: 09/11/2026

Pilgrims Hospices are seeking well-motivated and forward thinking Palliative Specialist Nurse to join our multi-disciplinary team, in supporting patients across east Kent.

The Role

The Palliative Specialist Nurse (PSN) is an experienced specialist practitioner who provides expert, evidence-based palliative and end-of-life care to patients with life-limiting illness and those important to them.

Working autonomously and as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team, the post holder undertakes complex holistic assessments, provides specialist symptom management advice, leads shared decision-making and advance care planning discussions, and contributes to the coordination of care across organisational boundaries.

The PSN provides clinical leadership, supports service development, quality improvement, education and workforce development activities, and acts as a role model in delivering compassionate, inclusive and person-centred care. The post holder will contribute to the continuous improvement of specialist palliative care services through evidence-based practice, governance, audit and collaborative partnership working.

Working pattern:

We are offering a part time position on a permanent basis to work at our Ashford Hospice. You will be working a variable shift pattern between Monday and Sunday.

About us

As an award-winning employer, Pilgrims provides end-of-life care services to patients and their families across east Kent.

Our commitment is to provide open, compassionate care and expertise for patients and their families – both in the community and in-patient units.

Our Vision

“Of a community where people with a terminal illness and their family and friends are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body until the very last moment of their life”.

We recognise that our workforce is integral to the delivery of our Vision and our charitable aims. Pilgrims Hospices continues to create a highly skilled, motivated, engaged and healthy workforce by providing an environment where staff and volunteers feel highly motivated to perform their roles to a consistently high standard, and actively role model our charitable behaviours and values.

To achieve our Vision, we have a shared set of values and behaviours that enable us to be the people and the charity that patients and their loved ones need us to be. They form, which guides us in our daily working and decision making:

our CODE

CompassionateWe treat everyone with compassion and care

OpenWe communicate openly, honestly and effectively

DynamicWe are dynamic, improving and developing our service

EmpoweredWe empower people to achieve their outcomes

Other benefits

As an Employer of Choice, our commitment to supporting our employees and volunteers is a key priority.

Our Health and Wellbeing Strategy is an important step in ensuring the sustainability of our workforce, and clearly outlines our strategic intentions to improve employee capability, resilience, and engagement, to adapt to and embrace change as the health sector continues to develop.

Our hospices offer:

• Modern, friendly and highly professional working environments
• Opportunities for professional development through a range of extensive learning
• Alignment with NHS pay rates and continuity in membership of the NHS pension scheme
• A sense of achievement in supporting a worthwhile cause
• A sense of wellbeing
• A good work-life balance
• Locations across well-populated areas of east Kent – all providing very good road and rail links
• NHS and financial discounts i.e. Blue Light Card
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free hospice parking

We invest in our employees, which is one of the key things that makes us an award-winning employer of choice.