/ Springhill Hospice (Rochdale)
JOB DESCRIPTION

Post:Community Specialist Palliative Care Nurse – Tier 2

Responsible to:Specialist Palliative Care Community Service Manager

Accountable to:Director of Clinical Services

Hours of Work:37.5 hours per week (over 7 days)

Clinical Grade:Band 7a (Hospice Salary Scale pt 30-31)

Job Summary

Work within the policy framework of Springhill Hospice in its provision of specialist palliative and supportive care, by supporting the team in ensuring that the clinical aims and objectives of the organisation are met. The post holder will be experienced as a specialist palliative care nurse, and have a role in the co-ordination and day to day management of the service in order to ensure a consistently high standard of service provision.

Establish and maintain good working relationships and communicate with members of the multi disciplinary team, other healthcare professionals and users of the service to ensure the delivery of high standards of effective specialist palliative and supportive care.

Actively participate in the assessment, planning and delivery of a consistently high standard of specialist palliative and supportive care.Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate as appropriate and to manage time effectively.

To support the Community Service Manager by taking the lead in the management of staff rotas/holidays and flexi.

To take the role of the Cluster Lead within the Specialist Palliative Care Team.

Act in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Conduct.

Although this job description is comprehensive, you may be required to undertake other duties as assigned by your Manager.

Clinical Practice

  • Assess complex holistic needs of patients, families and carers.
  • Identify their specific goals in relation to supportive, rehabilitative and specialist palliative care needs.
  • With patient/carer identify their specific goals in relation to specialist palliative and supportive care needs that may require input from the wider MDT and Community Health & Social Care teams.
  • Applying effective advanced communication skills in difficult and distressing circumstances.
  • In conjunction with the patient and the wider multi disciplinary team, develop and review care management plans to meet identified needs.
  • Analyse and rigorously review all aspects of patient management interpreting information provided and using knowledge and judgement to provide specialist advice to recommend a new course of action where necessary.
  • With the support of the MDT utilise specialist knowledge to enable colleagues to develop their competence in using different interventions in palliative, supportive and end of life care.
  • Be a resource of specialist knowledge and clinical expertise to promote the delivery of care and respond in a timely way to changes in condition.
  • Discuss with the patient the implications of their programme of care including end of life care where appropriate.
  • Act as a resource of specialised knowledge and clinical expertise to promote the delivery of care that is appropriate and optimal, enabling recognition of changes in condition.
  • Be conversant with processes that are in place to support patients and carers to make informed choices about their care and ensure they are utilised effectively.
  • Ensure necessary steps are taken to enable patients to make their own decisions about treatment and care in order to maximise their potential.
  • Act as an advocate to ensure the patient’s perspective is heard within the wider multi disciplinary community health and social care teams.
  • Promote a culture that is conducive to the recognition of complex physical, spiritual, social and psychological needs and utilises the existing referral systems in a timely and appropriate manner.
  • Empower individuals to adjust to and manage large scale changes in their lives to maximise their potential within the constraints of their condition and circumstances.
  • Provide an environment that encourages the patient to actively participate in their care enabling them to voice their wishes about current and future care.
  • Introduce the concept of Advance Care Planning with the patient and family and assist with the completion of patient-retained documentation, where appropriate.
  • Provide support, information and advice to patients, families and carers to enable them to make decisions about treatment and care options whilst acting as an advocate to ensure that the patient’s perspective is heard within the multi disciplinary team.
  • Be fully conversant with organisation policies in relation to interventions, treatments and any associated risks.
  • Be fully conversant with both Hospice policy and NMC guidelines in relation to nurse independent prescribing.
  • Monitor and record effectiveness of interventions and treatments in line with relevant palliative care guidelines and algorithms.
  • Provide expert clinical specialist knowledge to colleagues, patients, families and carers.

Learning and Development

  • Work collaboratively with the Education Co-ordinator to ensure the clinical environment is conducive to learning for all staff and students.
  • Ensure clinical placements are effectively facilitated and create a positive learning environment.
  • Provide educational and supportive opportunities to pre-registration nursing students to ensure placements satisfy all requirements of their learning outcomes.
  • Contribute to the internal/external hospice education programmes.
  • Participate in the development of nursing staff as mentors in accordance with NMC requirements.
  • Lead by example promoting the Hospice as a learning environment for staff and students.
  • Support the service manager in ensuring actions and placement evaluations are identified and acted on accordingly.
  • Take a pro-active role in the preparation of information for placements/audits.
  • Work collaboratively with the Education Co-ordinator to ensure staff have the necessary skills to deliver specialist supportive and palliative care.
  • Work collaboratively with the Education Co-ordinator to develop training and staff competencies.

Communication

  • Take leadership in ensuring a conducive environment is maintained in order to promote effective communication within the team.
  • Promote and collaborate effective working relationships with all service departments to ensure the patient journey is effective and efficient.
  • Establish and maintain good working relationships, communicating effectively with members of the multi disciplinary team, other healthcare professionals and users of the service, to ensure the delivery of high standards of effective healthcare.
  • Ensure that patient documentation is accurate, disseminating all relevant changes in the patient’s condition to the multi-disciplinary team, where appropriate.
  • Maintain patient and staff confidentiality at all times.
  • Represent and promote the organisation at external meetings and events as requested.
  • Take responsibility for ensuring communication to the service manager, including reporting on any governance issues in a timely and effective manner.
  • Ensure effective liaison between clinical and support services reporting on any key issues.
  • Act sensitively and, where appropriate, be the patient’s advocate to inform decision making.
  • Working in accordance with Hospice policies to ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times.
  • To be aware of individual specific responsibilities in respect of the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults, in relation to role.

Professional Development

  • Maintain own professional development to facilitate the provision of evidence-based practice.
  • Practice in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code and ensure that professional registration with the NMC is maintained.
  • Actively participate in the Hospice’s appraisal process to identify own learning needs and take necessary steps in order to reach personal and professional objectives.
  • Actively participate in the induction process for new staff in accordance with Hospice policy.
  • Act as mentor/preceptor for all nursing staff and as a resource person for support staff in your team.
  • With the support of the MDT utilise specialist knowledge to enable colleagues to develop their competence in using different interventions in palliative, supportive, rehabilitative and end of life care.
  • Take responsibility and actively support the service manager in the ongoing development of the team.
  • Utilise staff support systems eg clinical supervision/reflective practice.

Health, Safety and Security

  • Work in accordance with Hospice policies, procedures and guidelines.
  • Attend organisational mandatory training as required and as relevant to the role.
  • Advise the service manager of any staffing difficulties which may lead to a compromised service.
  • Ensure staff are trained and competent to use equipment safely.
  • Ensure all equipment used is in accordance with instructions and departmental procedures, reporting any faults as necessary.
  • Identify potential risks and actively participate in, and enable other to carry out, risk assessments within the working environment, ensuring the service manager is informed.
  • Ensure incidents are investigated and reported in accordance with Hospice policy.
  • In collaboration with the Infection Prevention and Control Link Nurse, ensure that the environment supports infection prevention and control policies and procedures.

Service Improvement

  • Be conversant with organisational, local and national strategic direction in relation to future issues pertaining to the provision of specialist palliative and supportive care.
  • Promote patient and public involvement in activities designed to inform service improvement eg comments cards, user group, dying matters etc.
  • Promote and take a lead role in the monitoring, evaluation and improvement of Community Specialist Palliative Care Services.
  • Actively engage with the service manager in implementing agreed initiatives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Community Specialist Palliative Care service.

Quality

  • Be aware of, and ensure compliance with, the essential standards of quality and safety as required by the Care Quality Commission.
  • Ensure personal clinical practice is evidence-based, effective in terms of clinical outcome and is, at all times, patient centred.
  • Promote a culture that is conducive to the recognition of complex physical, spiritual, social and psychological needs.
  • With the wider team, contribute to the identification of practices relevant to the Community Specialist Palliative Care service that could be improved through:

-Audit

-Research

-Evaluation

-Education/training

-User involvement

  • Participate in the co-ordination of Community Specialist Palliative Care referrals ensuring referrals are in line with referral criteria and agreed standards for processing referrals are met.
  • Take responsibility for the effective management of resources, ensuring that they are appropriate to service need and that any identified gaps are reported to the service manager.
  • Organise and manage workload to ensure high quality, effective clinical outcomes.
  • Respond to informal and formal complaints in accordance with Hospice policy.

Equality and Diversity

  • Promote and demonstrate awareness of anti-discriminatory practice in accordance with the organisational policies and current legislation. Demonstrate enhanced knowledge and understanding of organisational objectives relating to equality and diversity.
  • Support patients, visitors and staff who need assistance to exercise their rights.
  • Have a sound understanding of local and national legislation, polices and procedures.
  • Play a key role in establishing an environment and service which strives to reflect the diversity of individual needs.
  • Promote a culture which respects and values diversity.
  • Ensure care within your practice is consistent with the 5 principles of the Mental Capacity Act code of Practice (2005).
  • Recognise and report behaviour which undermines equality and diversity in accordance with organisational polices and current legislation.

People Management

  • Ensure the duty roster demonstrates sufficient skill mix to reflect service need.
  • Act as mentor/preceptor and a resource person for nursing staff, allied Health Professionals, students and other support staff, encouraging a high level of motivation with all involved.
  • Give clinical staff clear information in a way which promotes commitment, enthusiasm and provides opportunities to meet their personal development objectives.
  • Offer support and encouragement to clinical members of the MDT meetings in enabling them to deliver their viewpoint.
  • Participate in, and contribute to, the recruitment process.

THIS POST IS SUBJECT TO FLEXIBLE ROSTERING (ANNUALISED HOURS).

Springhill Hospice is a registered charity and all members of staff are expected to participate in fundraising activities.

Springhill Hospice is an equal opportunities employer and has a No Smoking Policy.

Some post are subject to a Disclosure and Barring background check.

For Internal Use Only

The contents of this Job Description have been discussed and agreed with my Line Manager

Signature of Postholder: / Date:
Signature of Line Manager: / Date:

H:\Human Resources\Job Descriptions\Community Service\Community Service Job Descriptions Superceded\Community SPCN Tier 2 JD (March 2018).doc 1