Lead Nurse for rheumatology at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, a senior post combining advanced clinical practice with service management. Core work is autonomous advanced assessment and treatment of complex patients, with advice to clinicians across primary and secondary care. The post also line manages band 6 and 7 specialists and the day unit, clerical and metrology teams, and holds the service budget. Applicants need a non-medical prescribing qualification and substantial rheumatology specialist experience.
What the job involves
- Lead the rheumatology nursing service within a multidisciplinary team, providing advanced specialist clinical expertise
- Advise primary and secondary care clinicians on setting up, delivering and evaluating patient care using evidence-based practice
- Provide the service in line with national, regional and local guidance, standards, protocols and the NMC Code
- Contribute to senior management and governance frameworks within the care group
- Line manage band 7 and band 6 nurse specialists, the day unit nursing team, clerical support, co-ordinators and the metrology team
- Manage the service budget with the clinical director, directorate manager and ADM
- Collect and submit KPI data to commissioners and act as first point of contact for commissioner queries
- Work autonomously managing a caseload and deliver individualised care, acting as an advocate for patients
- Take responsibility for advanced assessment and treatment of patients with complex acute and/or chronic presentations, crossing professional boundaries
- Undertake full medical assessment of complex rheumatology patients across hospital and community settings
- Plan, co-ordinate, deliver and evaluate management plans, consulting the Consultant Rheumatologist where necessary
- Recognise emergencies in the specialty, interpret information, take appropriate action and lead others to do the same
What’s required
Qualifications
- Registered nurse
- Teaching qualification
- Evidence of study at Masters level
- Non-medical prescribing qualification
Experience
- Substantial post-qualification experience, including as a rheumatology nurse specialist
- Leadership or management experience
- Teaching and supervising colleagues, students, patients and carers
Skills & knowledge
- Advanced standard of performance in the rheumatology specialist area
- Key role in planning, developing and improving rheumatology services
- Change management expertise
- Leadership, co-ordination and prioritisation of work
- Communication and interpersonal skills, including working with an MDT
- Problem solving and working under pressure
Other
- Values of kindness, openness and inclusivity
- Diplomatic and tactful, with a flexible approach and commitment to quality
- Willingness to undertake further training and to travel across sites