Community Palliative Care Senior Staff Nurse

Community Palliative Care Senior Staff Nurse NHS AfC: Band 6

Main area: Palliative care - Grade NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract: Permanent - Hours: Full time (37.5 hrs per week)
Job ref: 333-G-HC-1532

Site: Beaufort House, Town Uxbridge
Salary: £44,485 - £52,521 per annum (incl. HCAS)
Closing date: 05/12/:59

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has nearly 8,000 staff and provides integrated health care to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we run.

Job overview

CNWL is pleased to announce a vacancy within Palliative Integrated Care Service (PICS) Hub. The role will involve working with a Band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist to pro actively manage a patient caseload. The nurse will also work alongside and within the PICS Hub and, at times, within the Your Life Line 24/7 responsive end of life service.

Advanced practice and responsibility include: supporting the community Clinical Nurse Specialists to care for patients in their preferred place of care/death; implementing and maintaining high standards of nursing care for individual patients; providing skilled nursing care, treatment, advice and support to patients and their carers.

You should have excellent interpersonal skills with postgraduate experience of working in community, hospital or hospice environments with associated palliative care experience. As part of a 6 month rotation period between specialist palliative services, we expect this post holder to deliver clinically effective, efficient and high quality nursing care to clients with complex needs. You would assess, plan and treat a caseload of patients and their families in partnership with other care providers, supported by the clinical nurse specialist.

This is a 7 day a week post with shifts covering the 24 hour service, day and night shifts required.

Main duties of the job

• Respond to urgent need identified within the community setting to prevent unnecessary/unwanted admission to hospital.
• Participate in the planning, assessment, implementation and evaluation of nursing care, supplementing care provided by the District Nursing Team to enable the patient to continue to be cared for at home.
• Provide advice, support and respite care for carers and family according to their needs and level of intervention required during the shift.
• Communicate and liaise with medical and nursing colleagues, providing accurate reports of any changes in the condition of the patient.
• Administer medication according to the care plan and be aware of current drugs and therapies used in the treatment of pain and other symptoms.
• Set realistic goals for each of the identified needs in liaison with professionals and carers.
• Support conversations around future care planning to support end of life plans with patients and their family and carers.
• Support creation and review of Universal Care Plans (UCPs).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the grieving process and recognise normal and abnormal grief reactions, referring for bereavement support where indicated.

Working for our organisation

Working for the PICS Hub, which includes the Your Life Line 24/7 responsive end of life service and Specialist Palliative Care Team (SPCT), offers a small, dynamic team of CNSs, HCAs and admin staff. The post holder will provide clinically effective, efficient and high quality nursing care to clients with complex needs, reflecting current best practice.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Support creation and review of Universal Care Plans (UCPs).
• Critically evaluate nursing care that has been given, liaise with clinical nurse specialists and the district nurse if the care plan needs altering.
• Act as the patient's advocate in communicating information between the patient and members of the multi professional team.
• Demonstrate insight into many cultural aspects of life and death and their implications for nursing care.
• Show knowledge of the grieving process, recognising normal and abnormal grief reactions, and referring for bereavement support when indicated.
• Assist in the orientation of new staff members to the service.
• Participate in formal and informal educational programmes.
• Adhere to CNWL policies, procedures and protocols.
• Adhere to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and be conversant with the Scope of Professional Practice.
• Attend the induction programme, team meetings and training sessions.
• Keep up to date with current developments in nursing and palliative care.

Person specification Qualifications and Education

• Numeracy skills required for safe medication administration.
• Non medical prescribing or willingness to undertake it.
• Educated to Degree/Master's level.
• Oncology or Palliative Care course.
• Advanced Communication Skills Training.

Experience and Knowledge

• Recent experience of nursing patients with palliative care or oncology needs.
• Experience caring for patients at the end of life.
• HR skills training (e.g., recruitment, managing absence).
• Care planning: ability to assess patients, develop, implement and evaluate a care plan.
• Empowering and working in partnership.
• Knowledge of Safeguarding/Advocacy.
• Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act.
• Experience obtaining consent.
• Medicines manager and administration.
• Infection control and aseptic non touch technique.
• Experience in a palliative care environment (e.g., hospice).
• Experience working within the community.
• Supervision, line management and appraisal training.

Skills and Abilities

• Effective communication with the multi disciplinary team: presenting cases, taking notes of actions, updating others and using handover effectively. Skilled in face to face, telephone and written correspondence.
• Maintain accurate, timely, concise and legible clinical records (electronic and handwritten) in line with CNWL policies.
• Talk to people about sensitive issues in a supportive manner while challenging others assertively when necessary.
• Maintain electronic patient records and use Microsoft Word for letter and report writing.
• Understand quality concepts and participate in improving safety, clinical outcomes and patient experience.

Personal Qualities

• Work well with other team members, communicating effectively, being kind, considerate, reliable and enthusiastic.
• Manage others and contribute to team management.
• Contribute to an inclusive, kind, hard working team culture.
• Help others achieve objectives and deliver safe, effective care.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and patients when working in healthcare settings.

• Due to high response levels, we may expire any vacancy prior to the advertised closing date - please submit your application promptly.
• Applications from candidates requiring sponsorship will be considered, provided you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• Employment contracts are subject to a 13 week probationary period under the Agenda for Change.
• If offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service as required.