About this role
Job summary
Your Role
We are looking for an experienced and compassionate Senior Staff Nurse to join our Hospice at Home team, based at Rowans Hospice in Purbrook.
Reporting to the Hospice at Home Manager, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality specialist palliative care within patients' own homes. You will assess patients' needs, develop and implement individualised care plans, and provide expert clinical care with a high degree of autonomy. You will also support and supervise registered and unregistered colleagues within the nursing team, helping to ensure the highest standards of care.
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities
Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
Triaging referrals, assessing patients, and developing personalised programmes of care within the community, ensuring ongoing risk assessment and management. Maintaining regular contact with patients and their families, reviewing and evaluating care plans while prioritising care according to clinical need. Delivering specialist treatments and clinical procedures using evidence-based practice, including effective symptom assessment and management. Assessing the needs of patients and carers and making timely referrals to appropriate internal and external professionals and services. Monitoring and evaluating symptom control and overall care management. Verifying expected deaths within the community, supporting relatives and carers, and following organisational procedures. Providing dignified last offices and ensuring the safe and timely transfer of the deceased in accordance with community procedures. Communicating effectively with the Hospice at Home Team Lead, Clinical Nurse Manager, Hospice Doctors, GPs, District Nurses and other healthcare professionals regarding patient care. Escalating operational or clinical concerns appropriately, including during out-of-hours periods.
About us
About Us
At Rowans Hospice, we are a local charity providing free specialist palliative and end-of-life care and support to adults with life-limiting illnesses, as well as their families, across Portsmouth and South East Hampshire.
Since 1994, our services have been made possible through the ongoing generosity of our local community, including donations, legacies, fundraising activities, and income generated through our retail shops.
Job description Job responsibilities
Key Areas of Responsibility / Key Accountabilities
To triage/accept patients and carry out assessments of patients, develop programmes of care. Ensure that programmes are implemented throughout the 24-hour period within the patients home. Community setting demands continued risk mitigation by assessmentTo maintain continuing personal contact with patients and their relatives and contribute with the evaluation of programmes of care. Whilst prioritising & allocating care according to patient care service demandsTo carry out specific treatments and clinical procedures. To base clinical practice on current research-based evidence. Evaluating & implementing symptom management as appropriateTo assess the needs of patients and carers requiring intervention from other professionals/therapies within and outside the hospice and refer appropriately seeking support from senior staff as appropriateOngoing assessment of symptom control /care managementTo verify when a death has occurred, notifying relatives and carers as appropriate following the procedures carried out within the communityTo care for the deceased patient by administering last offices as appropriate and ensuring the safe and timely removal of the body from the home working within the procedures in place within the communityTo report to the Hospice at Home Team Lead/Co-ordinator / Senior Hospice Nurse/ Hospice Doctor/ GP or D/N any relevant information on the condition of specific patients, their care or treatmentOut of hours to report to the on-call Hospice Doctor/OOH/DN any relevant information on the condition of specific patients, their care or treatmentOut of hours report to the on call Clinical Nurse Manager as appropriate any immediate concerns related to the operations of the hospice at home serviceTo report any feedback, concerns and complaints from patients, their relatives, or others acting on their behalf and assist in the investigation as appropriateTo administer drugs, and assist with their ordering and storage, in accordance with the NMC Standards for the Administration of Medicines. To recognise and report any errors or omissions in the administration of medicationsTo adhere to the NMC Code of Professional ConductTo report to the Hospice at Home Team Lead/Co-ordinator/ Clinical Lead any matter affecting the smooth running of the hospice at home serviceTo ensure knowledge about patients is maintained in the strictest confidence, and is not divulged, except to professionals where it would materially assist with the programme of care or protection of the individual (See Staff Handbook Confidentiality / Data Protection Act)In conjunction with H@H Team Leader report any complaints/safeguarding concerns from patients, their relatives, or others acting on their behalf to the H@H Team Leader/Clinical Director and assist with investigation of complaints as necessary knowing your boundaries and expectations within the processTo demonstrate a consistent level of courtesy and consideration to patients, their relatives and visitors respecting that you are working within the patients own homeTo promote a high quality of nursing by adhering to set standardsTo contribute to the ordering and storage of clinical stores required for hospice at homeTo ensure that all nursing records are completed and updated at each shift change over shift in line with the policies within the communityComplete assessment of bereavement vulnerability and liaise where necessary with Psychology/Bereavement TeamTo ensure that clinical stores utilised from the Inpatient Unit for community patients are used efficiently and economicallyTo ensure that Infection Control standards are maintained at all times, participating in audits and monitoring as requiredTo contribute to the development of HCSWs and student nurses by ensuring delivery of effective induction programmes and continuing development through appraisal and educationTo attend lectures, formal meetings etc. to maintain professional update, adhere to aspects related to the Health and Safety at work act and promote the effective running of the service and participate in research.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Experience of supervising junior staff Proven leadership/management experience Excellent basic nursing care skills Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Able to demonstrate a good insight into palliative care principles and philosophy Able to demonstrate an understanding of palliative care symptom knowledge including and not exhaustive of; pain, nausea and vomiting, terminal agitation, bowel obstruction Able to demonstrate an understating of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to support symptom management Ability to facilitate individualised evidence-based care Leadership insight and potential with the evidence of effective team co-ordination skills Ability to prioritise workload and be flexible to changing demands Ability to share knowledge with others to develop and influence practice Able to maintain active and contemporaneous records Well-developed coping strategies Personal grief resolved sufficiently to cope and perform within palliative care setting.
Desirable
Communication qualification/experience uDNACPR training Physical Assessment and History Taking Experience of using SystmOne database Regular safe moving/handling of patients and equipment, including beds, mattresses, chairs and as necessary as regular bending and stretching involved.
Qualifications Essential
RGN or RN Adult Branch On NMC Register parts 1 or 12 ENB 931/285/237/998 or equivalent/or relevant area of study Two years experience within a Palliative Care setting Driving License/Car Owner
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Rowans Hospice Charity
Address Purbrook Heath Road
Pubrook
Waterlooville
Hampshire
PO7 5RU
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.rowanshospice.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)