Clinical Nurse Specialist - Palliative Care

Job overview

Are you looking for the next step in your neonatal nursing career? Would you like to be part of an ambitious team in a newly commissioned Level 2 Local Neonatal Unit (LNU)?

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated Band 6 Charge Nurse/Junior Sister to join the Neonatal Unit at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH).

As part of the South London Neonatal Network, our recently expanded Level 2 LNU provides high-quality care for babies requiring Special Care, High Dependency Care, and short-term Intensive Care. We are committed to delivering family-integrated care, working in partnership with parents and carers to achieve the best possible outcomes for babies and their families.

You will join a supportive multidisciplinary team of experienced neonatal nurses, consultants, junior doctors, advanced neonatal nurse practitioners, and allied health professionals, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and dietitians, who work collaboratively across both hospital sites.

This is an exciting time to join our service as we continue to develop and grow. As a Band 6, you will play a key role in leading clinical care, supporting and developing staff, and shaping the future of our Local Neonatal Unit while making a real difference to the lives of babies and their families.

Main duties of the job

As a Band 6 Neonatal Nurse within our Local Neonatal Unit (LNU), you will be responsible for coordinating and delivering high-quality, evidence-based care for babies requiring Special Care, High Dependency Care, and short-term Intensive Care. You will provide clinical leadership on shift, support the day-to-day management of the unit, and ensure safe, effective, family-centred care is delivered at all times.

You will demonstrate excellent clinical, leadership, and organisational skills, acting as a role model for the multidisciplinary team while supporting the development of junior staff through supervision, teaching, and mentorship. You will work closely with the wider neonatal team to maintain high standards of care, promote patient safety, and contribute to quality improvement, governance, and service development.

This role offers opportunities to further develop your leadership and management skills through education, quality improvement initiatives, and participation in governance activities, helping to build a skilled, motivated workforce committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for babies and their families.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. Transforming Healthcare is the vision at the heart of the King’s Strategy – 2026 to 2031. Together, we are pursuing six strategic ambitions: delivering high-quality patient care; being a great place to work; leading pioneering research, innovation and education; building strong and successful partnerships; providing timely and efficient care; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability. Achieving these ambitions will require all of us to work as one Team King’s, united by a shared commitment to our values of being caring, collaborative, inclusive and innovative. By living these values every day, we will transform healthcare for our patients, our communities and each other

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality, evidence-based, compassionate and family-centred care to babies requiring Special Care, High Dependency Care and short-term Intensive Care within the Local Neonatal Unit.

• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate individualised care for neonates, ensuring care is responsive to the changing clinical needs of each baby.

• Demonstrate advanced clinical knowledge and judgement in the assessment and management of sick and premature infants, recognising deterioration promptly and escalating concerns appropriately.

• Coordinate and manage the nursing care of a designated caseload of babies throughout each shift, ensuring safe, effective and timely delivery of care.

• Safely administer medicines, intravenous therapies, blood products, parenteral nutrition and enteral feeding in accordance with Trust policies, national guidance and NMC standards.

• Competently care for babies requiring respiratory support including Invasive Ventilation, CPAP, High Flow Nasal Cannula therapy and stabilisation prior to transfer where appropriate.

• Attend high-risk deliveries, neonatal resuscitations and emergency situations, providing skilled neonatal care and support as required.

• Ensure effective pain assessment and management using recognised neonatal pain assessment tools.

• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous and legally compliant documentation using electronic and paper records, including BadgerNet.

• Monitor and interpret physiological observations, blood gas results and laboratory investigations, taking appropriate action where necessary.

• Promote developmental care and neuroprotective practices, ensuring babies receive care appropriate to their gestation and clinical condition.

• Deliver Family Integrated Care by supporting parents to become confident partners in their baby's care through education, encouragement and shared decision-making.

• Provide emotional support to families throughout admission, including during difficult conversations, safeguarding concerns and bereavement.

• Ensure parents receive timely, accurate and sensitive information regarding their baby's condition and ongoing plan of care.

• Respect the individual needs, cultural beliefs, values and preferences of babies and their families, ensuring care is inclusive and equitable.

• Ensure informed consent is obtained where appropriate in line with Trust policy.

• Maintain patient dignity, privacy and confidentiality at all times.

Leadership and Clinical Management

• Act as Nurse in Charge, taking responsibility for the safe operational management of the neonatal unit during each shift.

• Coordinate patient flow, admissions, transfers and discharges, ensuring effective use of cot capacity and staffing resources.

• Allocate staff according to patient dependency, acuity and skill mix, reviewing allocations throughout the shift to maintain patient safety.

• Escalate concerns relating to staffing, capacity, patient acuity or clinical risk in accordance with Trust escalation policies.

• Provide visible clinical leadership and professional support to the multidisciplinary team.

• Act as a positive role model, demonstrating professionalism, accountability and compassionate leadership at all times.

• Support the Band 7s and Matron in maintaining a safe, efficient and well-organised clinical environment.

• Assist with workforce planning, rostering and deployment of staff to meet service demands.

• Support the management of emergency situations and major incidents within the neonatal unit.

• Participate in neonatal transport stabilisation where appropriate.

• Carry the neonatal emergency bleep and attend neonatal emergencies as required.

• Assist in monitoring stock levels, equipment maintenance and availability of emergency equipment.

• Ensure effective utilisation of resources while maintaining high standards of patient care.

• Contribute to service planning and implementation of new ways of working.

Communication and Multidisciplinary Working

• Work collaboratively with consultants, , junior medical staff, maternity teams and allied health professionals to deliver safe, coordinated care.

• Liaise closely with Labour Ward, Postnatal Ward and Transitional Care to support admissions, step-down care and timely discharge.

• Coordinate discharge planning with Community Neonatal Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors, Safeguarding Teams and Social Care to ensure seamless transition home.

• Participate in multidisciplinary ward rounds and discharge planning meetings.

• Maintain effective verbal and written communication with all members of the multidisciplinary team.

• Provide specialist advice and support to colleagues regarding neonatal nursing practice.

• Act as an advocate for babies and their families, ensuring their voices are heard and concerns addressed appropriately.

• Promote positive working relationships across King's College Hospital sites and the South London Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.

Education, Supervision and Workforce Development

• Support the education, supervision and clinical development of Band 5 nurses, newly qualified staff, nursing associates, students and support workers.

• Act as a Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor in accordance with NMC Standards.

• Support staff completing Qualified in Specialty (QIS) training and neonatal competencies.

• Participate in induction programmes and preceptorship for newly appointed staff.

• Identify learning needs and support staff in achieving clinical competencies.

• Deliver formal and informal teaching sessions, bedside teaching and simulation training.

• Promote reflective practice and evidence-based learning.

• Support staff through appraisal, personal development planning and competency assessment.

• Encourage professional development and lifelong learning within the neonatal team.

• Maintain own clinical competence through mandatory training, study days and continuing professional development.

Clinical Governance, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety

• Maintain a culture of patient safety, openness and continuous learning.

• Ensure compliance with the NMC Code, Trust policies, BAPM Standards, National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP) standards and South London Neonatal Network guidelines.

• Participate in quality improvement projects, clinical audits and service evaluations.

• Implement recommendations arising from audits, incidents and national reports to improve patient outcomes.

• Report and investigate incidents, near misses and complaints in accordance with Trust policy.

• Participate in root cause analysis and shared learning activities where appropriate.

• Support implementation of evidence-based practice across the neonatal unit.

• Maintain high standards of infection prevention and control, medicines management and safeguarding practice.

• Ensure information governance standards are maintained, protecting patient confidentiality at all times.

• Contribute to the review and development of neonatal policies, clinical guidelines and standard operating procedures.

• Promote environmental safety and identify risks that may affect patients, families or staff.

Operational Responsibilities

• Support the Ward Manager in the day-to-day management of the Local Neonatal Unit.

• Ensure the clinical environment remains safe, clean and compliant with infection prevention standards.

• Assist in monitoring equipment servicing, maintenance and replacement.

• Monitor stock usage and support effective budget management by reducing waste and ensuring appropriate resource utilisation.

• Support recruitment, retention and staff wellbeing initiatives within the neonatal team.

• Assist with sickness management, return-to-work processes and attendance monitoring where delegated.

• Contribute to workforce planning to ensure appropriate Qualified in Specialty (QIS) skill mix is maintained.

• Support implementation of Trust and Directorate objectives.

• Participate in departmental meetings, governance meetings and service development groups.

• Contribute to business continuity planning and operational resilience.

Professional Responsibilities

• Maintain registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and practise in accordance with the NMC Code.

• Maintain competence in neonatal nursing through ongoing professional development.

• Demonstrate professional accountability and responsibility for own clinical practice.

• Maintain mandatory training and clinical competencies relevant to the role.

• Work within the limits of own competence, seeking support where necessary.

• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring care is delivered without discrimination.

• Maintain professional boundaries and uphold confidentiality at all times.

• Comply with Trust policies relating to safeguarding, health and safety, information governance, infection prevention and risk management.

• Act as a positive ambassador for King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and contribute to creating an inclusive, compassionate and supportive working environment.

• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade, as requested by the Ward Manager, Matron or Head of Nursing, to support the effective delivery of neonatal services.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• 1st level Registered General Nurse with active UK NMC registration
• Further professional studies relevant to the clinical area
• Mentorship programme or equivalent teaching qualification

Desirable criteria

• Degree in Nursing or Equivalent

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable clinical expertise, relevant to the area.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge on Family Integrated Care & Clinical Governance

Skills and Compentencies

Essential criteria

• Team building and working skills – able to lead a team to achieve results
• Communication skills – able to relate and communicate with patients and staff at all levels and from different professions. Adapts communication style as necessary and is able to work with and through others.

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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