Nurse Specialist - Children’s Palliative Care

Job Overview

The regional Children's Holistic Integrated Palliative Care Service (CHIPS) is seeking an experienced, compassionate and highly motivated Nurse Specialist to join our expanding multidisciplinary team. The CHIPS team delivers specialist palliative care across the North-East and North Cumbria for babies, children and young adults (BCYA), and their families, with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, at the Great North Children’s Hospital, we are a welcoming and supportive multidisciplinary team.

This opportunity is for a dedicated individual with a passion for caring for BCYA and their families who may be receiving treatment with curative or palliative intent, be on an active transplant waiting list or be in the terminal phase and require end-of-life and bereavement care planning.

The Nurse Specialist will be expected to work autonomously, as part of the CHIPS multidisciplinary team as well as wider regional/national multidisciplinary teams. Delivering high-quality, holistic care alongside evidence-based assessment, advice, treatment, education and support to BCYA, their families, and other professionals across inpatient, outpatient and community settings. The role also offers development opportunities for both professional and service development, and the CHIPS team has access to specialist support from the psychology service.

Main Duties of the Job

• Providing specialist paediatric palliative and end-of-life care across home, hospice, hospital and community settings.
• Provide specialist nursing support for complex clinical decision-making.
• Facilitate sensitive conversations with patients and families, including advance care planning and end-of-life discussions.
• Working in partnership with multidisciplinary teams to ensure that the care delivered is of the highest standard.
• Acting as a specialist nursing resource for symptom management and palliative care, monitoring and evaluating the effects of prescribed treatments, adjusting medication within agreed protocols in conjunction with the medical team.

Main Responsibilities

• Act as a highly specialist practitioner within the Paediatric Palliative Care Service.
• Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence based practice, policies and care pathways.
• Support service improvement through audit, data collection, quality improvement initiatives and outcome monitoring.
• Provide clinical leadership, supervision, teaching and mentorship to nursing staff and students.
• Ensure clinical practice is delivered in accordance with Trust policies, NMC standards, safeguarding requirements and information governance.
• Actively contribute to multidisciplinary working and promote integrated, coordinated care across services and the region.
• Promote the importance of holistic care for BCYA with complex health conditions.

Working for Our Organisation

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from: Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Dental Hospital, Cramlington Manor Walks, Urgent treatment centres, Newcastle Fertility Centre, Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria, Northern Genetics Service. These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS. We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

We would welcome applications for flexible working, including job shares, part-time hours, or hybrid working with another role. There is also a requirement for out of hours working with regular weekend on-call commitments and participation in an ad hoc overnight on-call service, with the service development plan aiming to extend this to a 24/7, 365 days a year service.

CHIP's is a developing service, with the aim of being able to provide CYP and their families with access to 24/7 specialist palliative care in the near future. Being based at GNCH, the nursing team can expect that the host organisation will provide the infrastructure, administrative support and governance required for individuals and the multi-disciplinary team to thrive within an ambitious and innovative culture.

Candidates should hold a clear UK drivers Licence.

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust define a nurse specialist as a qualified nurse where the primary purpose of role is to provide guidance and support based on advanced level knowledge to patients, carers and health professionals concerning a specific disease/condition.

Within the Sphere of Specialist Practice

• Demonstrates significant advanced knowledge and skills within speciality and sphere of practice.
• Take a lead role facilitating the planning, delivery and evaluation of care pathways for a designated group of patients.
• Support the development of nursing practice within the specialist field and contribute to the body of nursing knowledge.
• Have corporate identity as an expert within specialist area.
• Lead and provide training and education across the organisation in relevant area of practice.

Qualifications & Education

Essential criteria:

• Registered Nurse (appropriate to branch)
• Current NMC registration
• Degree level / Master’s level study, or a combination of equivalent specialist study / experience
• Meets Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements for mentorship if relevant to role

Desirable criteria:

• Master’s Degree
• Management experience / qualification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria:

• Extensive post registration experience, some of which will be at a senior level within the required specialist area of practice
• Extended clinical practice underpinned by training and assessment
• Audit / research experience
• Evidence of on-going continuous professional development
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant NHS policy or project specific policy context
• Has understanding / experience of adult / child safeguarding

Desirable criteria:

• Evidence of leading programme(s) of education and / or training

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria:

• Good IT skills
• Effective report writing skills
• Able to work independently and across disciplines as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
• Effective organisation and time management skills
• Current driving licence if relevant to role
• Moving and handling patients and objects in line with Trust guidelines using appropriate aids

Additional Application Information

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.