Sister/Charge Nurse OOH Palliative Care Team

Go back South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

Sister/Charge Nurse OOH Palliative Care Team

The closing date is 29 October 2025

Part time post for 24 hours per week

We are looking to recruit a highly motivated, caring, compassionate and experienced nurse to a Band 6 Sister/Charge Nurse post in the Sunderland Out of Hours Palliative Care Team. The team are part of an Integrated Specialist Palliative Care Team, and provide high quality palliative and end of life care during the evening and night, which is timely and meets the needs of patients, carers and families. This relies on a team of knowledgeable and skilled practitioners who can work effectively with the multi professional teams across different care environments. If you feel you have the skills, knowledge and passion to be part of our team we would like to invite you to apply for this key role which provides excellent nursing care to patients with palliative and end of life care needs in their own home.

The nominal base for this role will be St Benedicts Hospice and Centre for Specialist Palliative Care in Sunderland, however you may be required to work across the whole of Sunderland and South Tyneside. We offer excellent working conditions and a supportive culture promoting Continuous Professional Development and Life Long Learning.

Main duties of the job

• Manage pain and other symptoms to enable patients to be cared for at home.
• Provide choice and support to patients and families in achieving preferred place of care.
• Prevent unnecessary admission to hospital.
• Facilitate rapid discharge from hospital for patients at end of life.
• Provide advice and support across all care settings to patients, carers and other professionals in relation to palliative and end of life care issues.

You will be expected to maintain agreed standards of care, directly protecting and promoting patients dignity, choices, self esteem and well being at all times. You will be working within an out of hours service that operates between the hours of 16:00 and 08:45 seven days a week. There are currently two shift patterns in operation to cover the hours of the service. Shift patterns are reviewed regularly and may be subject to periodic change.

You will require:

• Significant post registration experience in cancer/palliative care, palliative and end of life care knowledge, excellent communication and collaboration skills and be an exceptional role model.

About us

We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under represented groups. Looking after our workforce health and wellbeing is a priority for us. We also provide access to high quality education, training, career progression and support. Flexible working is supported via our Flexible Working Policy.

The Trust employs around 8,600 people and provides a range of hospital services to a local community of around 430,000 residents. We offer our staff outstanding benefits - Fitness Centre, libraries at both hospital sites, chaplaincy support and access to a Care Coordinator to help staff with childcare arrangements.

Job responsibilities

• To be responsible and accountable for the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate palliative care for patients designated to the Out of Hours Palliative Care Team caseload.
• Proactively manage patients with complex needs residing in own home / care homes / wider community in Sunderland. Deliver high quality care in partnership with the patient, carer and other agencies in order to maximise quality of life, identifying any anticipated emergencies, reduce the risk of avoidable hospital admission, and enable patients to die with dignity in their preferred place of care.
• Exercise accountability as set out in the NMC/HPC Code of Professional Conduct.
• Supervise, support and educate junior members of the team, acting as a role model.
• Support clinical team manager/department to ensure organisational goals/objectives are met within team/department.
• When taking charge of the team/department or in the absence of the clinical team manager, be directly responsible for ensuring that clinical, professional and cleanliness standards are maintained in the entire team/department.
• Ensure effective communication internally and externally regarding patient care and resources.
• Comply with the Trust's vision, values and behavioural compact.

Person Specification - Experience

• Evidence of leading change management in Community/Acute services.
• Evidence of practice development.
• Experience of coordinating a team in caring for complex patients and caseload management.
• Ability to work under pressure and achieve crisis management response times in a complex/changing environment.
• Significant post registration experience in cancer/palliative care in an acute hospital or community healthcare setting.
• Experience of line management of staff.
• Hospice/Community experience.
• Evidence of involvement with research / audit.
• Oncology / long term conditions.
• Working with PGDs.

Qualifications

• Current NMC/HPC registration, for NMC must be part 1 of register.
• Evidence of CPD.
• Degree in nursing studies / health related subject or evidence that currently working towards this / mentorship or teaching qualification.
• Foundation in palliative care course or similar.
• Management and leadership qualification, or course attendance or working towards.
• Independent Prescriber / willing to undertake / on pathway.
• Advanced communication skills.
• Clinical skills / willing to undertake.

Skills and Knowledge

• Awareness of national health and social care policy.
• Knowledge of best practice in area of specialism.
• Thorough understanding of expanded roles / professional practice issues.
• Clinical teaching experience.
• Ability to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information, where persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, empathic or reassurance skills are required.
• Able to work without supervision.
• Competent in the use of Microsoft Office packages.
• Evidence of competency in relation to nursing practices appropriate to the post.
• Car driver.
• Advanced communication skills.
• Clinical skills.

Physical Skills

• Ability to assist patients to move as per Trust Moving and Handling Policy.
• Trained in moving and handling procedures.

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.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a year, Pro Rata (24 hours per week)