About this role
Job summary
At Severn Hospice we provide compassionate and specialist care for people living with incurable illness and we are looking for a dedicated and empathetic Registered Nurse to join our community team, covering nights.
As part of a supportive multidisciplinary team, you will play a vital role in delivering high-quality, holistic and person-centred palliative care to patients in their own homes.
As a confident practitioner you will have the confidence to work alone and at night. Liaising with hospice colleagues and wider primary care teams, you will support patients with complex and changing needs, enabling them to remain safely at home wherever possible.
Using your clinical expertise, you will undertake assessments, symptom management and timely interventions in response to immediate patient need, providing care with dignity, respect and kindness at a crucial time in peoples lives. You will build supportive relationships with patients, families, GPs and community professionals, ensuring effective communication and coordinated care.
Caring is what we do best - and that includes caring for our staff. You will work in a friendly, fulfilling and supportive environment, with access to clinical supervision, strong peer support and a culture that values compassion, respect and excellence.
We are also committed to your development, offering excellent professional and personal learning opportunities via our on-site Skills Lab and education team.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide advice and support to patients and establish supportive relationships with GPs and other community teams.
The post holder will demonstrate palliative assessment skills, and will be able to support, illustrate, and disseminate such skills to other practitioners while benefiting patient care.
To function as a competent clinical practitioner to deliver direct patient care in response to an immediate need.
The post holder will participate in the planning, development and evaluation of palliative care services provided to patients in the community.
The post holder will take a supportive role in the provision of specialist palliative care education, promoting evidence-based practice.
Support the avoidance of unnecessary and unwanted admissions to hospital or hospice, particularly in the last few days of life.
The registered nurse will be one of a team, providing care and support to the patient within the home environment. They will ensure effective liaison and communication with both the Hospice Nurse Practitioners and key professionals involved in the patients care.
To support the provision of a triage service on a rotational basis, receiving incoming calls, taking messages, and responding accordingly.
About us
Caring is what we do best - and that includes caring for our staff. You will work in a friendly, fulfilling and supportive environment, with access to clinical supervision, strong peer support and a culture that values compassion, respect and excellence.
We are also committed to your development, offering excellent professional and personal learning opportunities via our on-site Skills Lab and education team.
We offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits including:
Excellent professional and personal development opportunities with our on-site Skills Lab and Education team High inpatient staff to patient ratio Continuation of NHS pension scheme Free on-site parking Health and wellbeing support framework Clinical supervision Generous annual leave entitlement Death in service Blue Light Card discount scheme Use of hospice canteens including designated outside spaces
Job description Job responsibilities
The Community Team is based in Severn Hospice, Bicton, Shrewsbury.
The provision of nursing care will: -
a) Enable patients to remain at home when home is their preferred place of care/death.
b) Support the avoidance of unnecessary and unwanted admissions to hospital or hospice, particularly in the last few days of life.
c) Be an addition to other statutory and voluntary services, and any other groups or individuals involved in the care of the patient.
The registered nurse will be one of a team, providing care and support to the patient within the home environment. They will ensure effective liaison and communication with both the Nurse Practitioners and key professionals involved in the patients care.
Individuals will need to demonstrate the ability to work alone at night and as part of a multi-disciplinary team. They will need to be flexible both in terms of their approach to the variety of tasks they will need to undertake and in terms of working hours.
The post holder will provide advice and support to patients and establish supportive relationships and presence with GPs and other community teams
To function as a competent clinical practitioner to deliver direct patient care in response to an immediate need.
The post holder will work as part of a multidisciplinary team and other care providers.
Clinical:
To accurately assess, plan, implement and evaluate the care of the patient and their carers within the home environment while working closely and liaising where necessary with the wider multidisciplinary team and out of hours services.
Ensuring that clear, precise documentation is carried out at all times with regard to patient care, informing the Community Services Hub of any significant changes in the patients condition and any relevant factors significant to the patient care plan.
To revise care plans depending upon patients changing condition using evidence-based practice.
Ensure the holistic physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social -needs of patients and their families, carers are met.
To recognise situations where liaison with external agencies eg Health Hero / Shropdoc for Powys patients, may be appropriate.
To undertake duties and responsibilities delegated by the community team.
Undertake a role in palliative care through partnership with health care professionals and other agencies throughout Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Powys, providing support on all aspects of clinical palliative care.
Work autonomously as a competent nurse who uses evidence-based skills and translates expert knowledge directly into individualised holistic therapeutic patient care in the full range of settings across primary care.
Develops clinically effective and therapeutic relationships with patients and relatives using persuasive, negotiating, and motivating skills to communicate complex, contentious, and sensitive information. For example, end of life issues and difficult to accept conditions, considering barriers to understanding and challenging communication.
Demonstrates excellent communication skills in order to share sensitive and complex concepts with other professional and relevant organisations about a full range of palliative care issues.
To identify where complex grief patterns are present facilitating referral to specialist bereavement support services.
To demonstrate a clinical knowledge in palliative care, underpinned by accessing relevant training, updates and conferences as agreed with the Community Services Manager.
Personal
To always act in accordance with the Code of Conduct and all policies and directives issued by the NMC and the Severn Hospice.
To comply with lone worker policy.
To attend relevant meetings, providing effective communication to ensure continuity of patient care.
To attend such courses/lectures/in-service training as indicated by needs of the service and own personal developments as identified.
Keep abreast of current developments in clinical nursing.
To always respect the confidentiality of information covering patients, staff and volunteers.
To promote the Hospice philosophy of care towards patients and relatives
Promote and incorporate equality and diversity in all aspects of the teams operations and in the public domain
Responsibilities and duties may include other tasks as determined by the Community Services Manager.
This job description is intended as a guide to the range of duties covered and should not be regarded as inflexible. There is a mutual obligation to modify the description when changes in the work situation occur.
Supplementary Information and Requirements
All new permanent Hospice employees are on a 4-month probationary period.
A DBS Disclosure will be requested in the event of an individual being offered the post.
Health and Safety
In accordance with the Hospices Health & Safety Policy all employed persons while at work are required by Section 7 of the Health & Safety at Work Act to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
Appraisal
All employees are required to participate in the Hospices appraisal process.
Person Specification
Aptitudes and Attributes Essential
Happy to work alone Calm and reassuring Able to take instruction and document events during shift Sensitive Emotionally strong Team player Able to solve problems
Other Requirements Essential
DBS disclosure Prepared to work flexible hours inc. nights Willingness to undergo further training as required Car owner / driver Willing to travel within a 25 mile radius
Skills and Knowledge Essential
Competent in symptom control and syringe drivers Excellent interpersonal and communication skills Excellent nursing skills Good understanding of palliative care philosophy Good listening skills Good counselling skills
Desirable
Awareness of wider palliative care issues Awareness of NICE guidelines Awareness of issues around non-cancer patients
Qualifications Essential
Registered Nurse (NMC Registered) Palliative care study days or courses
Desirable
Care of the dying course
Experience Essential
Post qualification nursing experience
Desirable
Palliative care in community experience
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 Severn Hospice
Address Bicton Heath
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY3 8HS
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.severnhospice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)