Motor Neuron Disease - Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job overview

Post: Clinical Nurse Specialist Cardiac Rehabilitation.

(Fixed term contract to cover maternity leave for 12 months)

Grade: Band 7

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Responsible to: Clinical Lead for Cardiac Health and Rehabilitation

Accountable to: Head of Nursing

Qualifications: Registered Nurse Level 1

Main duties of the job

• To assist in providing an integrated cardiac rehabilitation (CR) service primarily for residents within Southwark and Lambeth, working closely with primary and secondary care.

• To work as an independent and autonomous practitioner within a multi professional team, ensuring that patients with multiple pathologies due to cardiac disease receive the highest standards of care.

• To ensure a high quality, effective and efficient cardiac rehabilitation service within allocated resources.

• Demonstrate excellent clinical assessment skills with a view to optimising patient’s medication.

• Flexible approach to working in the team with possibility of needing to see cardiology or heart failure patients as required.

• To provide professional support, clinical expertise and appropriate education and training to all those professionals involved in providing care to patients with cardiac disease.

• To assist in leading and developing CAD care to meet NICE guidelines & ensure a continuous process of evaluation.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.

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

1. Clinical Practice

Draw on advanced specialist knowledge and use professional skills of the highest standard to act as an autonomous practitioner to investigate, assess, plan and provide specialised advanced care and management for cardiac patients. This will require the ability to make critical judgments and decision making.

Advise on the optimisation and adjustment of pharmacological therapy to ensure patients are receiving optimal evidence-based treatment. OR if supplementary prescriber to be able to independently optimise, titrate and prescribe therapy as appropriate and in line with prescribing protocols.

Maintain an extensive caseload of patients at various stages of disease progression, delivering specialist care.

Liaise with Primary, Secondary and Tertiary services to ensure a seamless transition between services and across boundaries

Provide specialist expert advice, psychological support and education to patients and carers as appropriate to their individual needs

Make and receive patient referrals undertaking a specialist assessment of individual need and integrating an appropriate raft of health and social care provision for the individual, facilitating inter agency and cross boundary collaboration

Use counselling skills and experience to manage and impart highly sensitive and often complex information to patients and relatives or carers in a dignified and sensitive manner.

2. Education and Research

• To provide written and clear oral information for clients and carers about all aspects of cardiac rehabilitation and cardiac care, in order to help patients make informed choices as to their treatment plan and continuing management.
• To participate in the delivery of the health education component of the cardiac rehabilitation programme.
• To actively participate in educational events provided by the Trust and Primary Care sector.
• To attend meetings and conferences as appropriate ensuring that you are fully conversant with current issues within the Trust and within cardiac rehabilitation.
• To participate in clinical audit within the team as directed and by the entry of accurate data for local and national databases.
• To participate in any appropriate/relevant Trust approved research or projects conducted within the team.
• To be aware of and actively apply nursing research and evidence-based practice relevant to cardiac rehabilitation.
• To work with other staff in clinical areas where changes to practice are required, also where opportunities exist to improve treatment and support for patients.

Communication

• To assist patients with lifestyle changes and symptom management. In addition, address their risk factors for CHD if applicable, by motivating patients through effective communication skills.

• To ensure all patients are fully informed of the risks and benefits of proposed procedures/treatments, contributing to the process of securing informed consent.

• To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential and to improve understanding of the condition which will require the appropriate response to the patients’ level of communication, facilitating the best possible communication outcome e.g. use of interpreters.

3. Management

• To participate in any local change programmes in order to improve standards and communication links from acute trust through to Primary Care.

• Network with the team of clinical nurse specialists within the Trust and other cardiac rehabilitation centres to evaluate and promote the specialist-nursing role.

• To keep accurate patient data, via the data information system to aid audit and to maintain contemporaneous and accurate treatment records.

4. Personal Professional Development

• To achieve a range of clinical competencies as required within the team, such as assisting with the exercise programme and undertaking relevant training.

• To keep up to date with current literature and research within cardiac rehabilitation.

• To maintain your own personal and professional development attending mandatory study sessions as required.

• To undergo and actively participate in your own performance appraisals.

5. General Duties

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and well-being and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.

• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.

• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.

• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.

• This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.

Person specification

Essential and Desirable

Essential criteria

• An advanced practitioner through formal qualification (Degree) and extensive cardiac clinical experience
• Relevant post-registration cardiac qualification
• Awareness and understanding of current health issues and in particular to demonstrate a good understanding of cardiac rehabilitation and the guidelines relevant to the area

Desirable criteria

• Advanced patient assessment skills course
• Previous experience of leading change in a clinical environment

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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