Job summary
The Palliative Care department is proud to be delivering specialist palliative care and advice to the population of Oxfordshire and South Northants, supported by Sobell House Hospice and Katharine House Hospice charities.
The Community Palliative Care Team provides a 7-day service and extended hours working will be required. We are pleased to be able to offer the option of a development post with progression from band 6 to 7 expected within 12-18 months, dependent on achieving competencies. We are looking for candidates who display excellent communication skills and strong leadership qualities and who are able to work autonomously.
Significant end of life or palliative care experience and an understanding of community services is essential. Symptom management knowledge and history taking skill training will be required. Undertaking non-medical prescribing will be an expectation at band 7. We will support staff development.
Informal contact prior to application is strongly encouraged.
Main duties of the job
The community palliative care team is a dynamic multi-disciplinary team who provide specialist palliative care services to Oxfordshire and South Northants. This includes home visiting, outpatient clinics and a telephone advice line. A full driving license is essential, as is the ability to work anywhere within Oxfordshire and South Northants.
The Community Palliative Care Team provides end of life, symptom management and communication skills training and teaching to all levels of staff.
As a specialist nurse within the team, the post holder will be expected to demonstrate patient focused expert clinical assessment and judgement. The post holder will also be expected to show autonomous and multi-disciplinary team working, including supporting other members of the team with development.
About us
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.
The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.
Date posted
09 April 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 6
Salary
£37,338 to £52,809 a year per annum pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
321-SW1-7051661-B7
Job locations
Sobell House and Katharine House, Old Road, Headington, Oxford, OX39DU
Job description Job responsibilities
Specialist Nurses will be able to;
* Use their expert knowledge and clinical judgement to decide whether to refer patients for investigations and discuss potential diagnoses with members of the wider MDT.
* Contribute to assessment and provision of out treatment, which may include advice on the prescribing and de-prescribing of medicines, or referring patients to an appropriate specialist.
* Where appropriately qualified and registered with the NMC, prescribe for the initiation and titration of medication for symptom relief.
* Assess individuals, families and populations holistically using a range of different methods, using physical assessment and advanced history taking skills and other specialist health needs assessments.
* Ensure the provision of continuity of care.
* Assess and evaluate, with patients and/or carers, the effectiveness of the treatment and care provided and make changes as needed.
* Work autonomously within a wider health care team and as a lone practitioner.
* Work across professional, organisational and system boundaries and proactively develop and sustain new partnerships and networks to influence and improve health outcomes and healthcare delivery systems.
KEY RESULT AREAS:
Clinical Practice:
Senior Specialist Nurses will:
* Work at an advanced level of practice within the specialist area of practice, autonomously as well as within a multi-disciplinary team and using self-directed skills.
* Work clinically to optimise health and wellbeing, demonstrate autonomous decision making related to comprehensive history taking and physical assessment of patients.
* Work at an advanced level drawing on a diverse range of specialist knowledge in complex decision making to determine evidence-based therapeutic interventions, which may include advising the wider MDT on the prescribing of medication.
* Plan, prioritise and manage complete episodes of care, working in partnership with others, delegating and referring as appropriate to optimise health outcomes and resource use, providing direct support to patients and clients.
* Act as key worker where this model exists.
* Use professional judgement in managing complex and unpredictable care events.
* Draw upon an appropriate range of multi-agency and inter-professional resources in their practice.
* Appropriately define boundaries in practice.
* Promote a high standard of advanced specialist nursing by initiating and coordinating the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of the holistic needs of patients/families through evidence-based practice following agreed policies, protocols and guidelines.
* Practice a high standard of communication including highly sensitive and complex information to develop and sustain partnership working with individuals, groups, communities and agencies. Utilise evidence-based information through a variety of communication media.
* Maintain adequate patient documentation to NMC requirements for all patients seen and advice given in any practice setting and contribute to clinical activity/data collection as required.
Person Specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential
* Graduate with 1st level registration
* Post registration qualification or equivalent experience
* Experience teaching and assessing in clinical practice
Desirable
* Masters level education in Nursing
* Teaching qualification
* Advanced history taking module
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
* Demonstrable expertise in end of life or palliative care nursing
* Ability to discuss and demonstrate evidence based practice
* Management role
* Knowledge and experience of change management
* Understanding of clinical governance and audit
* Evidence of ability to work across organisational boundaries
Desirable
* Experience of research methods and procedure
* Leadership training
Skills and Abilities
Essential
* Ability to motivate self and others
* Ability to achieve effective outcomes from challenging situations
* Good presentation skills
* Computer literacy and experience with EPR
* Reflective practice
* Advanced communication skills
Personal Qualities
Essential
* Highly professional attitude, Professional role model
* Confident with conflict management
* Car owner with full UK driving licence
* Committed to professional development of self and colleagues
* Time management skills
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer details
Employer name: Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Sobell House and Katharine House, Old Road, Headington, Oxford, OX39DU
Employer's website: OUH website
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