About this role
Job summary
Shape the future of supportive Palliative Care in East Kent.
Are you an experienced nurse with a passion for holistic, patient-centred care? Pilgrims Hospices are seeking Nurse Consultants to join our senior clinical leadership team.
In this pivotal role, you'll have the autonomy to lead service development across both in-patient and community settings, influence strategic decisions, and deliver exceptional care to patients and families - making a lasting impact every day. You'll work alongside leading Consultants in Palliative Medicine, with access to advanced learning and development opportunities.
Your expertise will help us deliver our vision: a community where people with life-limiting illnesses are supported to live well in comfort and with dignity until their final moments and support their loved ones at times most needed.
Main duties of the job
To be professionally accountable for all work undertaken and to practice at an advanced level of professional autonomy in line with local/national policy and guidance and the NMC Code.
To work as a Nurse Consultant using advanced clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills, prescribing, planning, and evaluating interventions for patients with complex presentations.
To be an authoritative expert assessor/advisor on pain and symptom management, psychological /spiritual/ social /practical and ethical decisions at the end of life and to work in partnership with a range of health professionals to improve their skills in these areas.
Develop and conduct skilled clinical intervention with patients with palliative care needs, assessing and addressing issues such as quality of life, futility, prognosis, withdrawing and withholding treatment and end of life decision making within an ethical framework.
To undertake complex and sensitive holistic care assessments and plan, implement and evaluate care utilising advanced communication skills.
Please refer to attached job description for full scope of role.
About us
Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent provides compassionate end-of-life care and support for individuals with life-limiting illnesses, as well as their families and carers.
Operating across three hospice sites in Canterbury, Ashford, and Thanet, the charity offers a range of services across our 3 in patient units, community services and our therapy centres. Following a multi-disciplinary, holistic needs assessment, care is tailored to individual needs and can be delivered in any setting.
Pilgrims Hospices aims to help people live well in every moment until they die.
Job description Job responsibilities
Expert Clinical Practice
To be professionally accountable for all work undertaken and to practice at an advanced level of professional autonomy in line with local/national policy and guidance and the NMC Code.To work as a Nurse Consultant using advanced clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills, prescribing, planning, and evaluating interventions for patients with complex presentations.To be an authoritative expert assessor/advisor on pain and symptom management, psychological /spiritual/ social /practical and ethical decisions at the end of life and to work in partnership with a range of health professionals to improve their skills in these areas.Develop and conduct skilled clinical intervention with patients with palliative care needs, assessing and addressing issues such as quality of life, futility, prognosis, withdrawing and withholding treatment and end of life decision making within an ethical framework.To undertake complex and sensitive holistic care assessments and plan, implement and evaluate care utilising advanced communication skills.To improve access to medication through the support and implementation of independent Nurse prescribing.Demonstrate negotiation and diplomacy skills and partnership working across the multi-disciplinary teamTo be in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team, with regards to safe, effective, timely admissions and discharges of patients.To identify areas for improvement and development which will enhance the palliative care provision for patients and carers.To work with the other clinical leads within the hospice in undertaking service improvements as identified.To act as a resource locally and nationally on issues related to palliative care.Take an active role in continuing to embed the outcome data to provide safe, responsive and effective care to the people we see in the community.Leadership
It is expected that the Nurse Consultant will spend up to 60% of their time in direct patient contact using a combination of face to face, video and telephone consultations, supporting and clinically supervising the ACP team.40% of the time will be spent in developing services in line with the hospices clinical strategy and educationTo provide expert clinical leadership alongside the other Medical and Nurse Consultants across the organisationWorking with other clinical leads to develop and implement the Hospices strategic clinical plan.Be involved in the hospice governance process, influencing service provision and standards within the Hospice and the locality.To identify areas for service improvement, working with stakeholders, including service users, and propose changes as they are needed.To project manage change to services, as required.Provide support to the clinical teams in their development and learning, driving change as needed.To provide consultancy to other stakeholders involved in specialist palliative care provision and be recognised in the locality for having expertise in the field.Develop mechanisms to ensure regular feedback from stakeholders and respond to any informal or formal feedback.Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop policy in line with local services and to ensure best practice.Report on prescribing activity governance to enable safe prescribing practice.To represent the hospice in relevant groups and at meetings where an expert nurse is required.To maintain patient statistics and comprehensive patient records, providing data and reports as required ensuring effective and efficient service delivery.Utilise audit to improve quality of care and evidence areas for service improvement.Manage complaints, as requested to do so.Support the selection and recruitment of new staff and development of new roles.Assess risk and minimise threat to personal safetyBe a core member of the Local Management TeamEncourage formal/informal teambuildingChair meetings effectivelyBe responsible for continuing to embed iPOS and other outcome measures, using data to show the effectiveness of these tools.Education and research
To work with the Clinical Leadership Team to develop and implement educational strategies for the development of palliative care within the hospice and locally.To be competent in delivering education and training sessions at all levels for a variety of key stakeholders, patients and their carers.Utilise experiential learning methods and reflective practice.Demonstrate competence in lecture and discussion-based teaching.Mentor new staff and clinical placements.Consistently draw on research and literature to influence specialist palliative care teachingWrite articles for publication, deliver at conferences, and produce posters for presentation as requiredEnsure that service developments are evidence based and supported by research activity.Participate in research locally or nationally where appropriate.With the Clinical Education lead, identify training needs of the clinical teams.Participate in the hospice-training programme and staff induction.To participate in the development of clinical standards within the total quality and audit framework of the Hospice and participate in clinical audit, as required.Personal Responsibilities
To recognise indications of staff stress and to facilitate staff support.To undertake staff personal development reviews annually and one to one meetings every 6-8 weeks with direct reportsTo facilitate regular team meetingsTo recognise the value of volunteer contribution and play an active part in their support & development where appropriate.Personal Development
To devise with the a personal development plan in line with the Hospice objectives and personal needs.To maintain and increase personal, clinical and project management skills.To work at all times within the policies and guidelines of the Hospice and act within NMC guidelines at all times.
Person Specification
Intellect and Education Essential
Shows an approach based on critical enquiry and evidence based care Embraces evidence-based practice & audit Interest in research & development Shows breadth of awareness & a range of problem-solving skills Encourages ongoing learning & an educative culture, both for self and others
Desirable
Experience in research and research development
Qualifications Essential
Current NMC Level One Registration MSc Palliative Care/Advanced Clinical Practice Advanced Clinical Assessment Skills Non-medical Prescribing Advanced Communication Skills
Desirable
Post-graduate Teaching Qualification Leadership Qualification Experience as a Designated Medical Practitioner DMP for non-medical prescribers
Experience Essential
Significant Experience within a Specialist Palliative Care Environment Experience of working within palliative care at an advanced practice level Possesses range of clinical knowledge, skills & information technology expertise. Concerned to maintain & develop this knowledge. Displays sound professional judgement Exercises sound clinical risk management Sees patients within a holistic context
Teaching skills Essential
Willing to supervise juniors, spots talent & nurtures it. Evidence of teaching experience. Able to operate within a teaching/training culture.
Desirable
Postgraduate teaching qualification. Experience as clinical or educational supervisor.
Decisiveness and Accountability Essential
Is able to justify decisions. Recognises clinical constraints & the realities of rationing of care.
Ability to operate within wider NHS context Essential
Understands the NHS system: nationally, regionally & locally. Aware of the issues affecting current & future NHS practice. Understands the concepts & principles of clinical governance.
Desirable
Experience of a lead role in governance or strategy
For more Essential Criteria Essential
Please refer to the full Job Description Document
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 Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent
Address Pilgrims Hospice
56 London Road
Canterbury
Kent
CT2 8JA
Employer's website https://www.pilgrimshospices.org/jobs (Opens in a new tab)