A full time Band 7 Community Heart Failure Nurse Specialist (HFNS) role with a highly functioning and well supported Community Heart Failure Service has arisen. We cover the multi-cultural and vibrant borough of Camden and aim to provide quality care for patients in their own homes and in clinic settings.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of the multi-disciplinary team aimed at reducing unscheduled hospital admissions and improving quality of life for people with heart failure i.e. Rapid Access service, consultant cardiologist from UCLH and The Royal Free Hospital, other Long Term Conditions teams, renal team, GPs and community nursing and therapy teams amongst others.

As a Band 7 nurse specialist in the Heart Failure Team you will work as part of the team and will contribute to its success by being an effective role model and supervising other staff i.e. nurses, healthcare assistants/support workers and students to ensure they are working to the standards that the people using our services deserve.

About us

All Band 7 nurses working for Central and North West London Foundation Trust are expected to be kind, responsive but professional, informative and contribute to the quality of the services we provide by:

• Keeping the people who use our services as safe as possible through the use of sound clinical skills and effective risk assessments
• Ensuring the best possible clinical outcomes by using up-to-date skills and adhering to evidence based policies and procedures
• Ensuring the people using our services have a good experience by respecting, empowering and working in partnership with people throughout the care planning process

Experience in heart failure is essential. Interested applicants can contact Rosemary Fernandez, Clinical Lead on 020 3317 2362 and are welcome to call and discuss the role or visit informally.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

CNWL Foundation Trust is committed to providing safe, effective services and providing patients and their families with a positive experience.

Patient Safety

As a Heart Failure Nurse Specialist you will contribute to the provision of safe and reliable services by:

• Using your clinical expertise and risk assessment skills to keep the people using our services as safe as possible
• Safeguarding people by recognising and responding when an adult or child might be at risk from abuse but also recognising their own limits and asking for help and escalate concerns when necessary
• Escalating safety concerns and acting as effective advocates for those who use our services
• Being open and transparent about your own practice
• Supervising the work of others
• Reflecting on everyday practice to identify areas where improvements in safety or quality can be made
• Working with others to create a culture of continuous improvement
• Maintaining accurate, legible and comprehensive records
• Maintaining compliance with your mandatory training requirements

The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) plays an important role in safeguarding the public by regulating the work of nurses All nurses, including Band 7 nurses, are expected to maintain their registration and revalidation with the NMC and adhere to the NMC Code of Conduct.

Clinical Outcomes

The Heart Failure team are expected to help meet the health needs of the population in Camden and as a Heart Failure Nurse Specialist you are expected to understand those health needs. As a Heart Failure Nurse Specialist you will often work with people who have complex needs. You will be expected to contribute to the effectiveness of the service by:

• Being a confident, autonomous practitioner who takes responsibility for the care you give to patients and seeks advice when necessary
• Adhering to Trust policies and procedures and working within your own scope of practice
• Providing highly specialised clinical advice to support patients, GPs and other healthcare teams
• Reducing the risk of deterioration of heart failure patients by reviewing management plans, participating in MDT meetings and engaging with GPs
• Assessing patients with complex needs in collaboration with other services or teams
• Working with patients and families in all stages of the care planning process including assessing risks and needs
• Acting as patient advocates in the multi-disciplinary team and overseeing the work of others to ensure that they are also responding to the needs of patients and providing clinically effective care
• Ensuring that you and other team members treat patients with respect and dignity and obtain consent as required and ensure adherence to the Mental capacity Act
• Prescribing for patients (or work towards becoming a non medical prescriber)
• Take responsibility for overseeing the work of others in the team including less experienced nurses and staff without a professional qualification
• Contributing to creating and maintaining a high performing team by:
• Contributing to the development of the Team by ensuring that policies and procedures are up to date and evidence based
• Communicating well with all members of the team
• Understanding your role in the team and how you will help the team achieve its objectives
• Reflecting on your own practice regularly and encouraging the whole team to reflect on their practices in handovers and team meetings
• Encouraging the team to learn from adverse events or respond to data analysis from audits or benchmarking exercises and implement sustainable initiatives which improve clinical outcomes

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• oRegistered L1 Nurse Adult or equivalent
• oEvidence of relevant Continuous Professional Development
• oEducated to degree level with evidence of an established degree pathway
• oNumeracy skills required for the safe administration of medicines
• oIndependent Prescriber or willing to undertake the non medical prescribing module

Desirable

• oMentorship qualification
• oEvidence of studying at masters level or willingness to undertake

Previous Experience

Essential

• oPrevious experience as a Band 6 nurse/cardiology experience

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• oAble to communicate with the multi-disciplinary team, present cases, take note of actions, update others in the team and use handover effectively. Speaking face-to-face and also by telephone and writing letters and reports
• oAble to talk to people about sensitive issues in a supportive manner but also challenge others assertively where necessary
• oWork well with other members of the team including communicating effectively, being kind and considerate, reliable and enthusiastic
• oMaintaining accurate, timely, concise and legible clinical records both electronic and handwritten which adhere to the CNWL policies
• oAble to maintain electronic patient records Use Microsoft Word for letter and report writing

Desirable

• Expertise in the assessment and management of heart failure
• Supervision, Line management and appraisal training

Employer details

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Pancras Hospital

4 St Pancras Way

Camden

NW1 0PE

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

333-G-CC-1256