Job Summary

The Specialist Palliative Care Nurse (SPCN) works as an autonomous practitioner providing specialist palliative and end of life care assessment, advice, support and clinical intervention to patients and families, including those with complex physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs.

The post holder manages a complex caseload across community and hospice settings; coordinates care across organisational boundaries and provides specialist advice to health and social care professionals.

The role contributes to education, mentorship, audit, research, quality improvement and service development activities and works in accordance with the NMC Code and Ayrshire Hospice policies and procedures.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical

• Manage a specialist caseload of patients with complex palliative and end of life care needs.

• Undertake comprehensive assessment, care planning, intervention and evaluation.

• Provide specialist symptom management advice and support.

• Coordinate care across hospice, primary care, acute and community services.

• Assess and prioritise referrals and determine appropriate service responses.

• Support patients and families through disease progression, deterioration, end of life and bereavement.

• Advocate on behalf of patients and families to ensure care aligns with their wishes and preferences.

• Provide specialist advice, guidance and education to health and social care professionals.

• Participate in the weekend on call rota.

Professional Leadership

• Act as a resource and role model for colleagues and partner organisations.

• Support the education, supervision and development of staff and students.

• Promote evidence-based practice and continuous improvement.

Governance and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate records and comply with professional, legal and organisational requirements.

• Participate in audit, quality improvement, research and service development activities.

• Contribute to risk management and patient safety initiatives.

Role Scope and Autonomy

The post holder works as an autonomous practitioner and is responsible for assessing patient need, determining priorities for intervention and making complex clinical decisions relating to symptom management, risk, referral and care planning. Decisions are often made in situations of uncertainty and may have a significant impact on patient outcomes, service access and resource utilisation. The post holder is accountable for recognising the limits of their competence and escalating concerns appropriately.

• Works autonomously with access to professional support when required.

• Responsible for managing a complex specialist caseload.

• Exercises significant clinical judgement in assessing risk, need and appropriate interventions.

• Influences care planning across organisational and professional boundaries.

• Contributes to workforce development through education and mentorship.

• Participates in service development, audit and quality improvement activities.

Planning and Organising

• Organises and prioritises a complex caseload, balancing competing demands and changing priorities.

• Plans and coordinates care in partnership with patients, families and multidisciplinary teams.

• Schedules and manages visits, assessments and interventions across community and hospice settings.

• Contributes to service development and implementation of quality improvement initiatives.

Communication and Relationship Skills

• Communicates highly sensitive information relating to diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options and end of life care.

• Supports complex conversations with patients, families and carers experiencing distress, loss and bereavement.

• Builds effective working relationships with multidisciplinary teams, primary care providers, acute services and external agencies.

• Provides education, support, mentorship and clinical guidance to staff and students.

• Acts as a key point of contact for patients, families and professionals accessing hospice services.

Physical, Mental, Emotional and Environmental Demands of the Job

Physical

• Frequent travel by car between patients' homes and other community settings; current driving licence required.

• Working in a variety of home and community environments, which may include confined or unpredictable spaces.

• Carrying out physical clinical assessments and prescribing during home visits.

Mental

• Responsibility for the delivery of safe, effective, holistic care to a complex and often unpredictable caseload.

• High levels of concentration and accuracy required for telephone triage, clinical assessment, prescribing and documentation, often subject to interruption.

• Requirement to make independent clinical judgements, at times with limited information and without direct supervision.

Emotional Effort/Skills

• Regularly supporting patients and families facing distressing diagnoses, prognoses and end of life

• Managing complex and fragmented family dynamics, including collusion

• Supporting bereaved family members, including children

• Coping with high levels of public expectation and, on occasion, complaints

Working Conditions

• Lone working in patients' homes and community settings, in all weather conditions

• Potential exposure to emotionally distressing situations on a regular basis.

General Organisational Responsibilities

• Act in accordance with Ayrshire Hospice values and behaviours

• Comply with organisational policies, procedures and regulatory requirements

• Maintain confidentiality and information governance standards

• Contribute to a culture of quality, safety, inclusion and continuous improvement

• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the level of the post

Person Specification

Essential

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration.

• Non-medical prescribing qualification or willing to work towards.

• Relevant post-registration clinical experience.

• Experience of caring for patients with palliative and end of life needs.

• Excellent communication, assessment and clinical decision-making skills.

• Ability to work autonomously and within multidisciplinary teams.

• Evidence of continuing professional development.

• Full driving licence.

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in palliative care.

• Community nursing experience.

• Experience of audit, research or quality improvement.

Personal Qualities

• Demonstrates the qualities required to fulfil the job requirements.

• Values driven.

Closing Date

Friday 23rd October, 4pm