Palliative Care Nurse

Overview

City Hospice is Cardiff's local hospice team offering palliative care in the community for people with life limiting conditions. Our CNS team supports them so that they can live their life in their place of choice, with dignity, and in comfort with those close to them in their bereavement.

We are looking to recruit a Palliative Care Nurse who supports our values of working together with pride, compassion, purpose and dedication. We keep people at the heart of what we do, empowering shared decision making and encouraging innovation.

We act with responsibility and professionalism as a team to provide the highest care, comfort and support to our patients and people close to them.

Main duties of the job

The post of Palliative Care Nurse will be community based and will provide, as part of a team, specialist, intermediate and generalist palliative care specific to the needs of patients, their carers and families. They will be accountable clinically to a Consultant in Palliative Care Medicine, and managerially to the Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist.

About us

City Hospice was established in as a charity in 1984, and we are currently looking forward to celebrating 40 years of caring for the residents of Cardiff.

Ours is a small team comprising Clinical, Counselling and Business Support staff working together to achieve our vision of providing palliative care and bereavement counselling services which are widely recognised as reflecting best practice in a centre of excellence.

We have created a family environment which incorporates staff, families and volunteers. We celebrate life and enjoy a relaxed working environment, but never lose sight of our duty to, and responsibility for our patients.

Job details

Job Title: Clinical Nurse Specialist Palliative Care
Pay Band: Band 5 (NHS Agenda for Change pay scale)
Hours of Work: Monday - Friday 37.5 Hours
Base: Tŷ Hosbis, Whitchurch Hospital Grounds
Duration: Permanent

Key functions of the role

• To work as a member of a specialist palliative care team and with members of the primary health care team in the community.
• To work closely with and to develop professional relationships with health care professionals and other palliative care teams within hospitals, the community and hospices.
• To play an active role in the promotion of holistic day care in the Tŷ Hosbis centre.
• To demonstrate excellent clinical skills.

Primary responsibilities

1. Clinical Practice
   Provide assessment of physical and psychological needs of patient, their families and carers. Advise and liaise with the primary health care team and secondary care team on treatment and care as appropriate. Maintain effective communication with the team within City Hospice, primary health care teams, hospital teams, hospices and other statutory and voluntary organisations. Adhere to NMC Code of Practice.
2. Education/Training
   Maintain an effective partnership with members of the primary health care team within the community, encouraging development of clinical skills to improve patient care. Participate in formal and informal training/teaching programmes for students, other health care professionals and volunteers. Participate in continuing personal education and other activities to promote own professional development. First Level Registration. Five years Post Registration.
3. Self Management
   Support the caseload of a Band 6 CNS. Maintain accurate records, assist in the submission of statistical returns and reports as required. Identify priorities and manage time accordingly. Assist in implementing change effectively in response to clinical/organisational demand. Be aware of, and comply with all policies and procedures within the Charity. Receive appraisals to identify and agree development and training needs and areas of potential improvement in appropriate/adequate service provision.
4. Clinical Governance
   Be responsible for identifying potential untoward incidents and act upon appropriately supported by effective documentation. Participate in the development of, revision and monitoring of clinical policies and guidelines. Ensure own professional and clinical supervision needs are identified and negotiated with the CNS Team Lead. To participate in clinical supervision in order to sustain and develop professional practice.
5. Research and Audit
   Identify priorities and manage time accordingly. Assist in implementing change effectively in response to clinical/organisational demands.
6. Health & Safety
   To take the required care of your own Health & Safety and that of any other person affected by your acts or omissions in a professional context. To take the required steps to safeguard the welfare, health & safety of all staff, volunteers, patients and visitors according to CH policy.
7. City Hospice Development
   Actively promote CH and its activities to patients, their families and carers and others. Contribute to fundraising efforts.
8. Freedom to Act
   Professional accountability to Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist and Consultant in Palliative Medicine. Work within the guidance of City Hospice policies and procedures. To work within the National Guidelines of NICE and relevant national government policies.
9. Physical Effort
   Applies relevant manual handling skills/techniques.
10. Mental Effort
    Ability to concentrate and complete tasks despite frequent interruptions. Ability to respond to constant unpredictable events and interruptions, e.g. patients fluctuating conditions.
11. Emotional Effort
    Ability to deal with distressing or emotional circumstances. Imparting bad news. Helping patients and their families to understand the reality of the situation. Ability to deal with distressed and angry relatives. Use of reflection.
12. Working Conditions
    Working in the community throughout Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Office based work using VDU daily at base in Ty Hosbis.

Person specification Experience

• Previous community or palliative care experience

Qualifications

• First level registration
• Three years post registration
• Experience of working autonomously, as well as part of a team
• Car owner/driver

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.