About this role
Job summary
The Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative care is a key member of the Specialist Palliative Care Team, working closely with the Palliative Care Consultants and the wider multidisciplinary team to provide expert assessment, advice and specialist palliative care for patients with life-limiting illness in the acute hospital setting.
The post holder supports the management of complex symptoms, advance care planning, ethical decision-making and end-of-life care, while providing expert guidance and education to hospital teams to promote high-quality, person-centred care. Working in partnership with specialty teams, ward staff, allied health professionals and discharge services, the Specialist Palliative Care Nurse helps ensure patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time.
The role also involves close collaboration with community palliative care teams, primary care, hospices and other external partners to facilitate seamless transitions of care, support timely and safe discharge, avoid unnecessary hospital admissions where appropriate, and ensure continuity of care across organisational boundaries.
Main duties of the job
Deliver high-quality specialist palliative care to patients and their families across West Cumbria.
Act as a senior member of the Clinical Nurse Specialist team, providing expert advice, leadership, and support to colleagues.
Contribute to service development and redesign to meet patient needs and improve care pathways.
Undertake and facilitate education, training, and mentorship for staff across the service.
Coordinate and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, effective, and patient-centred care.
Maintain accurate patient records, reports, and documentation in line with governance and clinical standards.
Occasionally cover wider areas of the service depending on operational requirements
About us
At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.
Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of 'safe, high quality care every time':
Being a clinically led organisation Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust A positive patient experience every time A great place to work Managing our money well
As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.
Across the North East and North Cumbria we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.
Job description Job responsibilities
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.
CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP
Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment. Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit theUK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.
Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see ourPolicy for eligible vacancies.
AHP - Return to Practice Job Advert information.This role may be suitable for individuals Returning to Practice. Please speak to the recruiting manager for more information.
Disclosure and Barring Service:
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.
The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as followsif applicable to the post:
Standard Check: £21.50 + Administration cost of £5.90 = £27.40. Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.
Enhanced Check: £49.50 + administration cost of £5.90 = £55.40. Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.
NCIC can offer successful future employees the following benefits:
27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years
Flexible working Scheme
NHS Discounts*
Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work*
Excellent opportunities for development*
Competitive NHS Pension scheme
Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems
*Subject to eligibility
Important Information
Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.
If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.
Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Registered Adult Nurse with current Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration. Degree in Nursing or a health-related subject, or equivalent level of knowledge and experience. Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to specialist palliative and end of life care. Postgraduate qualification in Specialist Palliative Care (Postgraduate Certificate or equivalent) or willingness to undertake within an agreed timeframe. Advanced communication skills training. Practice Assessor/Supervisor qualification (or willingness to achieve in line with NMC requirements).
Desirable
Independent and Supplementary Non-Medical Prescribing Qualification (V300) Advanced Clinical Assessment qualification Leadership or Management qualification Teaching or Education qualification
Knowledge and Experience Essential
Extensive knowledge of specialist palliative and end of life care Advanced knowledge of pain and complex symptom assessment and management. Knowledge of national policy, guidance and standards relating to palliative and end of life care, including NICE guidance, the Ambitions Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care and CQC standards Knowledge of advance care planning, treatment escalation planning and end of life decision-making Understanding of safeguarding adults and mental capacity legislation Knowledge of clinical governance, quality improvement and risk management Understanding of audit and service evaluation methodologies Knowledge of multidisciplinary and multi-agency working across health and social care Significant post-registration experience Substantial experience working within specialist palliative and end of life care Experience of managing patients with complex palliative care needs. Experience of working autonomously and making complex clinical decisions Experience of multidisciplinary team working across organisational boundaries Experience of teaching and supporting the learning and development of healthcare professionals. Experience of clinical supervision, mentorship or supporting staff development Experience of participating in audit, service evaluation or quality improvement projects
Desirable
Knowledge of quality improvement methodologies Knowledge of change management principles. Understanding of NHS operational and performance frameworks. Experience of line management or day-to-day supervision of staff. Experience of service development or implementing change Experience of Non-Medical Prescribing Experience of working across acute, community and hospice settings
Skills and Aptitudes Essential
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to undertake sensitive and complex conversations Highly developed assessment, clinical reasoning and decision-making skills Ability to manage a complex and unpredictable clinical workload Ability to prioritise competing demands and work effectively under pressure Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team Demonstrates compassionate, inclusive and collaborative leadership Ability to influence and support practice across professional groups Effective organisational and time management skills. Competent in the use of electronic patient records and Microsoft Office applications Ability to analyse and interpret complex clinical information to support decision-making. Commitment to evidence-based practice and continuous quality improvement
Desirable
Demonstrates the Trust's values and behaviours Compassionate, caring and patient-centred. Professional, approachable and resilient Flexible and adaptable to meet service needs. Motivated with a commitment to lifelong learning Able to work effectively in emotionally demanding situations Acts with integrity, accountability and professionalism Committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion
Other Requirements Essential
Ability to travel across Trust sites and community settings as required Flexible approach to working hours to meet the needs of the service Satisfactory Occupational Health clearance Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance
Desirable
Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle where required for community working
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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 North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address West Cumberland Hospital
Homewood Road, hensingham
Whitehaven
CA28 8JG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)