Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist | Calderdale and NHS Foundation Trust

Overview

We are offering an exciting opportunity for two experienced registered nurses to join our established and evolving specialist palliative care team. The posts available are full and part-time (37.5hr and 30hrs / week). The service provides specialist interventions for patients with complex palliative care needs within the acute hospital setting, working in collaboration with the Community Specialist Palliative Care Team. The service runs across 7‑days per week, including bank holidays, covering two acute hospital sites and providing care across Kirklees and Calderdale.

There will be an opportunity for professional development, especially in key areas, including advanced communication skills, advance care planning, symptom management and end‑of‑life care.

The specialist palliative care support nurse will be a key team member in the delivery of specialist palliative nursing services to enable and support timely and effective care and assessment and intervention for patients with specialist palliative care needs in all settings.

• Support the specialist nursing service in assessment and triage of patients, ensuring patients and carers receive high‑quality care, support and advice.
• Provide advice and support to other members of the multi‑professional teams involved in the care of patients with specialist palliative care needs.
• Work within the multi‑professional team to manage the caseload of patients presenting with specialist palliative care needs.
• Undertake an effective nursing assessment and intervention service within CHFT.
• Work flexibly across acute hospital and community settings, supporting the service according to service demand.

• Provide specialist palliative care advice to clinical teams.
• Undertake comprehensive assessment of patient nursing needs, plan, implement and evaluate care delivery according to changing healthcare needs.
• Demonstrate specialist skills and knowledge.
• Use advanced communication skills to impart information, advice and support at all levels.
• Provide timely holistic assessment of physical, social, emotional and psychological needs of patients at presentation and other points of contact as appropriate, ensuring early initiation of investigation, referral or management.
• Work with clinical teams to facilitate individualised patient care based on evidence‑based practice.
• Involve patients, their families and carers in the planning and delivery of their care.
• Monitor investigation results, initiating further assessment or review of treatment pathways as required.
• Liaise with all service areas to ensure timely review and treatment of patients with specialist palliative care needs.
• Engage in service development as appropriate.
• Provide guidance and support for patients making choices relating to preferred place of care and advance care planning.
• Provide symptom management advice.
• Utilise independent prescribing skills to improve patient care delivery, undertaking all necessary clinical governance policies.
• Support the Macmillan specialist palliative care nursing team leader to initiate service change.
• Liaise with key partners in primary and tertiary care to ensure patients and families receive timely, effective specialist palliative care intervention.
• Manage and maintain own clinical caseload, prioritising workload responsibilities and the ability to work flexibly to meet changing patient needs, escalating significant concerns to the line manager or senior clinician.

• Ensure adherence to all CHFT protocols, policies and directives within service delivery.
• Participate in service review and development alongside the specialist palliative care team.
• Work with other appropriate professionals to ensure holistic, comprehensive nursing assessment, care planning, care delivery and referral mechanisms are in place.
• Ensure effective communication with other services, patients and carers takes place in a timely and effective way in all care settings.
• Ensure continuity of care for patients and appropriate specialist nursing or other health and social support is available and accessible.
• Work with the lead cancer nurse and other key cancer care…