Palliative Specialist Nurse (PSN)

Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Pilgrims Hospices East Kent is seeking an experienced Palliative Specialist Nurse to join the Canterbury team. The role involves autonomous clinical practice, expert symptom management and leadership within a multidisciplinary setting.

The post holder will contribute to education, governance, and service development, ensuring compassionate, person-centred end-of-life care across community and inpatient settings.

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with significant experience in palliative care.
• Experience in education, training and supervision of staff.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist palliative care assessment and support for complex needs.
• Lead and participate in multidisciplinary team meetings to inform care planning.
• Coordinate care transitions and ensure continuity across services.

Skills

Holistic assessment

Palliative care

Leadership

Education & training

Education

Nursing degree (RN)

Mentorship/Practice Supervisor qualification

Tools

Electronic records

Job description

Pilgrims Hospices is seeking an experienced Palliative Specialist Nurse (PSN) to join the team at our Canterbury Hospice.

Main duties of the job

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.

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.

Other Benefits

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

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

Job responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

• Provide specialist palliative care assessment, advice and support to patients with complex needs and those important to them.
• Undertake holistic assessments considering physical, psychological, emotional, social, cultural and spiritual needs.
• Develop, implement and evaluate individualised care plans in partnership with patients, families and professionals.
• Support and manage patients presenting with highly complex symptom burden, uncertainty, palliative care emergencies and rapidly changing clinical needs.
• Recognise deterioration and respond appropriately to changes in clinical condition, including palliative care emergencies.
• Provide timely specialist advice to patients, carers and healthcare professionals.
• Utilise advanced clinical reasoning and specialist decision‑making skills to support complex care planning.
• Promote advance care planning, including discussions regarding preferred place of care and preferred place of death where appropriate.
• Coordinate and facilitate effective transitions between care settings, ensuring continuity of care and communication across services.
• Contribute to ethical decision‑making relating to capacity, consent and best‑interest decisions.
• Act as an advocate for patients, families and carers.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, contributing specialist nursing knowledge and clinical recommendations.
• Provide advice regarding appropriate referral pathways and access to specialist services.
• Work autonomously within professional boundaries and seek advice appropriately when required.
• Prescribe medicines safely where qualified and authorised to do so, in accordance with legislation, professional standards, local policies and formularies. Maintain competence in independent prescribing practice and contribute to anticipatory prescribing and medicines optimisation in line with service requirements.
• Maintain knowledge of current evidence‑based approaches to palliative symptom management.
• Contribute to the development, review and implementation of clinical policies, pathways and standards.

Professional Leadership and Clinical Practice

• Act as a positive professional role model demonstrating compassionate, inclusive and person‑centred care.
• Promote high standards of specialist palliative nursing practice, influence practice across hospice, community and acute settings to promote excellence in palliative care.
• Provide specialist advice and support to registered nurses, healthcare assistants and other professionals. Coach, supervise and support colleagues to develop competence and confidence in end‑of‑life care.
• Contribute to clinical decision‑making within the multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrate leadership in complex patient situations.
• Promote dignity, respect, equality and inclusion in all aspects of care delivery.
• Challenge practice where necessary to improve patient outcomes and experience.
• Support implementation of evidence‑based practice and national guidance.
• Contribute to succession planning, service and workforce development and improvement initiatives.
• Actively support the creation of an inclusive, psychologically safe working environment.
• Demonstrate knowledge of medicines commonly used within specialist palliative care.
• Provide advice regarding safe prescribing, administration and monitoring of medicines.
• Work within local medicines management policies and professional standards.
• Maintain competence in prescribing practice where applicable.

Quality Improvement, Audit and Research

• Participate in quality improvement activities to improve patient outcomes and experience.
• Contribute to clinical audit programmes and service evaluation.
• Evaluate clinical outcomes and use data to improve patient experience and service delivery. Identify opportunities for improving care pathways and service delivery.
• Lead and/or contribute to quality improvement projects and implementation of evidence‑based practice.
• Participate in research activity where appropriate.
• Share learning through clinical forums, education sessions and professional networks.
• Participate in risk management, incident review and learning processes.

Education, Training and Development

• Maintain specialist knowledge and competence through continuing professional development.
• Deliver education and training to hospice staff, healthcare professionals and partner organisations.
• Support the development of colleagues through coaching, supervision and teaching. Support colleagues following emotionally challenging clinical situations and contribute to a culture of reflection, wellbeing and professional support.
• Act as a Practice Supervisor and/or Practice Assessor for student nurses in accordance with current NMC standards.
• Support new staff through induction, orientation and ongoing development.
• Contribute to clinical competency development.
• Attend mandatory training and professional development activities.
• Maintain awareness of current national guidance relating to palliative and end‑of‑life care.

Safeguarding and Professional Responsibilities

• Recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns.
• Work within safeguarding adults procedures and legislation.
• Apply principles of the Mental Capacity Act and best‑interest decision‑making.
• Maintain professional accountability in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code.
• Maintain confidentiality and information governance standards.
• Report risks, incidents and concerns appropriately.

Communication

• Communicate sensitively and effectively with patients, families and carers regarding complex and emotional issues.
• Use advanced communication skills when discussing diagnosis, prognosis, uncertainty and end‑of‑life decisions.
• Build effective relationships with internal and external professionals.
• Ensure accurate and timely documentation within electronic patient records.
• Participate in virtual and face‑to‑face multidisciplinary meetings.

Information Governance and Digital Practice

• Maintain accurate clinical records in accordance with professional standards.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with UK GDPR and information governance requirements.
• Ensure information is shared appropriately and securely.
• Develop confidence in digital approaches to supporting patient care.

Personal and Professional Development

• Maintain professional registration and meet NMC requirements.
• Take responsibility for personal learning and development.
• Participate in appraisal and development processes.
• Identify learning needs and undertake appropriate education and training.
• Reflect on practice and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement.

Person Specification

Experience

• Significant experience as a registered nurse
• Experienced in the use of common IT software in the workplace to ECDL standard
• Use of electronic records

Qualifications

• 1st Level Registered Nurse
• First degree in nursing/palliative care or associated clinical field or equivalent
• Formal mentorship qualification including as a practice supervisor or assessor

Knowledge, Skills and Other Requirements

• Must hold valid, unrestricted right to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship
• Holistic assessment skills
• Demonstrates specialist knowledge in the field of palliative care with a high degree of skills and abilities in managing advanced palliative symptoms
• Can effectively impart and transfer knowledge to others and articulate a balanced evidence based review to support patients care plan / care plan reviews in internal and external multi‑professional meetings
• Demonstrates knowledge of the clinical audit cycle and can give examples of effective use of audit in improving practice
• Can demonstrate knowledge, skills and or abilities in a specific area of interest with regards to end of life care

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.