Staff Nurse Hospice at Home

University Hospitals Dorset; Christchurch; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Dorset is seeking Staff Nurses for the Hospice at Home service, delivering compassionate end-of-life care across East Dorset. The role involves home visits, patient assessments, and hands-on nursing support for patients choosing to die at home.

This is a 24/7 service requiring flexibility, including night shifts, across Cross site Christchurch and Poole Hospitals. You will work within a dedicated NHS team, providing high standards of care and supporting families during

Qualifications

• Current Registered UK Nurse NMC registration.
• Experience in Palliative Care and/or Community Nursing.
• Driving licence and access to a car.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide 24/7 Hospice at Home care across East Dorset, visiting patients at home.
• Complete initial and ongoing assessments of care needs.
• Administer medications and perform end-of-life care tasks including verification of death and last offices.
• Be flexible with shifts, including nights.

Skills

Palliative care

Community nursing

Driving licence

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Education

NMC Nursing Registration

Job description

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.

Job overview

This role will work predominantly within the Hospice at Home Service but there will be expectations to support our hospice inpatient units as needed - Hospice at Homehas been operating for over 3 years with the main focus on caring for patients who want to be at home at end of life. If you are enthusiastic, compassionate, motivated nurse looking to be involved in providing excellent end of life care why not come and join us. This is an amazing opportunity to be a part of a new service and make a difference to so many families.

Many people and their families tell us that they want to stay at home as their illness progresses.

There will be an induction for any training requirements on starting.

This role requires NMC Registration.
Base Locations: Cross site at Christchurch Hospital and Poole Hospital
Interview date: Monday, 12th October 2026

Main duties of the job

The Hospice at Home service is a 24 hour/7 days a week service, seeing patients across our whole geographical area of East Dorset, predominantly visiting patients and families in their own homes to provide end of life care. The patients will have complex needs and referred by teams within Specialist Palliative Care Service.

We are seeking applicants who have experience of providing palliative and end of life care, who have confidence to work independently and are passionate about 'What matters' for patient's.

The service was started over 3 years ago and has developed significantly during this period. As a Staff Nurse you will complete initial and ongoing assessment of care required. Provide hands on physical end of life care including single administration of medications, Verification of death and last offices. You will need to be flexible with work pattern to include nights.

We are looking for enthusiastic, compassionate, motivational nurses to be involved in providing excellent end of life care. A background in Palliative Care, in providing end of life care or working in the community would be advantageous.

Working for our organisation

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

If relocation of the role/service, excess mileage allowance / reimbursement will not apply, and any travel between the postholder’s home and work base will be classified as a commute. Any other changes unrelated to this, will be handled in line with Trust/National terms and conditions.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

Person specification

Essential and Desirable

• Current Registered UK Nurse NMC registration 1 year post registration experience
• Experience of Palliative Care and/or Community Nursing essential
• Holds a valid UK driving licence and business cover insurance
• Owns a car and able to drive for work
• Qualification in Palliative care
• Excellent Communication and interpersonal skills

Essential and Desirable

• Experience of caring for patients with acute and long term conditions
• Demonstrate Clinical experience in End of Life Care
• Registered Nurse with NMC
• Nursing in Community/Hospice/End of Life Care Team
• Full UK driving Liscense
• Knowledge of the end of Life Strategy/Quality markers/advance care planning
• Previous experience of working within NHS

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.