Job summary
Dougie Mac are currently looking to recruit Clinical Nurse Specialists who share our passion in providing excellent, personalised and compassionate care to patients and their families within our newly restructured community team. At Dougie Mac our vision is to be admired as a centre of excellence for palliative and end of life care. Our many different services provide patients, their families and carers, with physical, emotional, social, psychological and spiritual support, at home, or here at the Hospice.

Main duties of the job
The right candidate will possess excellent communication and organisational skills, a motivation for continual learning and sharing of knowledge, with the drive to ensure our patients receive the highest possible standard of care. You will work as part a community team supported by a team leader. Please read the job description (below) for further details. If you would you like to be part of our friendly, supportive team delivering high standards of specialist palliative care which endeavours to go the extra mile in supporting our patients and their families, then we would love to hear from you.

About us
Dougie Mac provides compassionate care and support for adults, young adults, and children with life-limiting conditions across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. As a values-driven organisation, we strive to deliver high-quality, person-led, and inclusive care across our inpatient, community, and supportive care services. Following our merger with Approach Dementia Support and expansion into children and young adult services, Dougie Mac now supports more people than ever before across all age groups and diagnoses. Our team is made up of dedicated, skilled professionals who are committed to delivering responsive and meaningful care in line with our hospice values. We offer a collaborative working environment with access to professional development, reflective practice, and staff wellbeing support. Dougie Mac is proud to be a financially independent local charity, offering a competitive salary and benefits package including generous annual leave, contributory pension scheme, funded study opportunities, hospice-paid healthcare cash plan, and free on-site parking.

Job responsibilities

• You will be able to demonstrate leadership through clinical expertise. Aiming to deliver high standards of person-centred care using the underpinning philosophy of Specialist Palliative Care.
• Have the skills and confidence to contribute to the delivery of specialist education and training to other professionals in a formal and informal setting.
• With support from a mentor will contribute to the development and promotion of the CNS service.
• Contribute to quantitative and qualitative data collection of the CNS Service.
• Understand and utilise relevant clinical guidelines.
• Takes professional responsibility for ensuring effective communication between all service providers across the care pathway.
• After an initial period will actively participate in multi-professional meetings, acting as a patient advocate and representing the CNS view.
• To work alongside your team to ensure the continued co-ordination of the content and delivery of the community patients care plans and ensure the quality and provision of nursing care of patients and their families.
• To assess the needs of patients and their carers and identify their respective physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual needs.
• To work within a team framework, collaborating with colleagues and members of other disciplines across the hospice and externally.
• To use a proactive and sensitive approach with patients and relatives to enable involvement in advance care planning.
• To assess peoples information needs and provide relevant information to meet those needs.
• To ensure provision of appropriate nursing interventions.
• To follow the hospice and Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) or HCPC standards on Medicines Management.
• To participate in Clinical Audit and research programme.
• To foster positive working relations with other healthcare professionals and lead by example.
• Take a collective lead in clinical governance, initiating areas of audit to improve practice.
• To support colleagues, volunteers and students in managing bereavements, and provide support for distressed patients, bereaved relatives and visitors.
• To lead in supervision, debriefing and reflective practice sessions.
• To recognise and manage the potentially distressing effects of working with terminal illness, maintaining personal resilience while accessing the support, guidance, and resources available through the hospice.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• NMC Registration or HCPC Registration
• Ability to travel independently throughout the locality with access to suitable vehicle for business purposes

Desirable

• Advanced Communication Skills qualification or willingness to undertake.
• Independent Prescribing Qualification
• Healthcare Assessment qualification

Experience
Essential

• 3 years post registration experience
• Proven experience and knowledge of palliative/terminal care
• Caseload management skills

Desirable

• Experience in Audit
• Experience in formal teaching

Additional Criteria
Essential

• IT skills including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint)
• Must demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work with a multi-disciplinary team
• Knowledge of evidencing the use of clinical guidelines
• Ability to prioritise
• The ability to adapt to change
• Ability to motivate others
• Use own Initiative
• To be able to meet the requirements of the post
• Flexible working to meet shift requirements
• Present a professional appearance appropriate to the role

Desirable

• Teaching commitment
• To understand the external influences that effect the delivery of palliative care in the community
• Demonstrate leadership qualities

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.

Employer details: Douglas Macmillan Hospice, Barlaston Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST3 3NZ. For questions about the job, contact Head of Community & Dementia Services, Lisa Hill, lisahill@dmhospice.org.uk, 01782344300.