Clinical Nurse Specialist UCLH Symptom Control & Palliative Care

Job Overview

We are recruiting a Band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist, for our hospital Symptom Control and Palliative care team at UCLH. We are looking for someone who can appreciate their resilience and motivation to work in Palliative Care and can demonstrate their knowledge, skills, compassion, confidence, drive and courage.

Would you enjoy working in our thriving multi-disciplinary palliative care team where we, day to day work to achieve the best outcomes for the people we support?

Could you imagine yourself working in the heart of London? Are you ambitious to start or develop your palliative career and would you like the opportunity to learn and contribute in this dynamic, well-renowned team with a long tradition of ‘can do’? If yes, then please contact us to find out more.

Working in the hospital, you will work as an autonomous practitioner, supported by the MDT, as part of a team managing an inpatient caseload of symptom control and palliative care patients with a variety of conditions, and often complex needs. This role will additionally involve being part of a large team of clinical nurse specialists/ clinical paramedic specialists who provide on call cover for both South Camden and Islington Community Palliative Care Team and UCL NHS Trust.

In your supporting statement, please clearly demonstrate and state clear interests of your reasons to work in Hospital Palliative Care.

Main duties of the job

• Act as an expert clinician for patients and carers with complex Symptom Control and Palliative needs within UCLH
• Independently manage a caseload of patients with complex needs, including receiving and making referrals.
• Be included on a triage rota for incoming referrals, calls and supporting with complex discharges. Assess referrals, establish priorities, provide specialist advice, and coordinate handover/allocation of referrals
• Provide palliative care advice within general multidisciplinary teams.
• Deliver skilled assessment and communication addressing advance care planning, psychosocial and spiritual assessment and end-of-life decision-making within an ethical framework.
• Serve as an expert advisor on pain and symptom management, and collaborate with professionals to enhance their palliative care skills.
• Independently assess and support bereavement needs, making appropriate referrals.
• Provide education (formal and informal) to staff
• Provide support to carers and families
• Use in-depth knowledge of multidisciplinary roles and external agencies to ensure optimal referral and care pathways.
• Be part of 7 day rota 0900-1700 (one CNS on site in hospital Sat/Sun/BH, therefore approx. 1 weekend day working per month depending on total staffing numbers). On-Call rota 7 days 1700 - 2000.

Working for our organisation

As a whole wider service we provide palliative care to the patients of South Camden & Islington and UCLH. The community team is based at St Pancras Hospital, and we work as one team with the UCLH hospital team. Our hospital team has evolved from having one nurse and a medical consultant in the last 25 years to a multi professional team including, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Consultant Nurse, Consultants, SPR, SHO, Social Worker, Clinical Psychologist and administrative colleagues.

We provide the space to care; access to a multi-professional team; we are committed to a happy and cohesive team; value personal and professional development and aim to facilitate a risk-confident and supportive culture.

Camden, and Islington boroughs are the homes to diverse communities, as well as being the setting for many well-known London landmarks and facilities. These are just a few of the reasons we love working here.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• To be professionally and legally accountable for all work undertaken. To work within the Standards for Better Health and guidelines of the Palliative Care Team, CNWL and UCLH NHS Trusts, NMC Code of Conduct/HCPC at all times.
• To undertake specialist clinical assessment of clients with complex palliative care needs through subjective questioning, objective examination, and study of appropriate written material (e.g. clinical records) available.
• To prioritise factors involved in the patients and informal carers condition through advanced clinical reasoning based on knowledge of current professional opinion, patients prognosis and other physical, psychological, spiritual, ethical, social, and mental health records.
• To identify patients, their informal carers or children whom may be at risk and vulnerable. Promptly enact the process outlined in the policies for Care of Vulnerable Adults and Care of Vulnerable Children.

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive post-registration experience in the relevant specialty
• Experience in case or ward management
• Experience teaching clinical staff, patients and families

Desirable criteria

• Demonstrated ability to initiate, evaluate, and sustain change management
• Experience caring for patients in their own homes

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered Nurse (RN) or Registered Paramedic
• Relevant post-basic qualifications
• Recognised teaching qualification
• Achieved or working towards a first degree

Desirable criteria

• Non-medical prescriber qualification
• Physical assessment qualification
• Current driving license

Skills and Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Contemporary and relevant clinical knowledge and expertise
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Basic computer literacy
• Strong negotiation skills with clinical professionals, patients, and families
• Effective workload prioritisation and time management
• Problem-solving skills and ability to take initiative
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Commitment to the development of palliative and end-of-life care

Desirable criteria

• Ability to supervise and develop staff
• Experience working with integrated care pathways

Audit and Research

Desirable criteria

• Experience in audit, standard setting, and quality improvement
• Ability to incorporate research into practice and motivate others
• Experience involving service users in planning and delivery

Professional Requirements

Essential criteria

• Evidence of ongoing professional development
• Commitment to the development of palliative and end-of-life care
• Understanding of equal opportunities