Children's Epilepsy Nurse Specialist

The Epilepsy Specialist Nurse is responsible for providing expert assessment, care coordination and clinical management for children and young people with epilepsy across the community setting. The post holder manages a specialist caseload, undertakes comprehensive assessments, develops and implements individualised care plans.

The role provides specialist advice, education and support to children, young people, families, carers and professionals, promoting effective seizure management, medication adherence, health promotion and self-management. The post holder works closely with acute, community, primary, secondary and tertiary services.

The post holder participates in consultant-led and nurse-led clinics, provides specialist epilepsy advice, supports complex decision-making, communicates sensitive information with compassion, and contributes to safeguarding care as required. The role also includes leadership responsibilities through the supervision and line management of junior staff, mentorship of students and healthcare professionals, and the delivery of training and education programmes.

In addition, the post holder contributes to service development, clinical governance, audit and quality improvement activities, ensuring practice is evidence-based, compliant with professional and Trust standards, and aligned with national guidance and best practice for epilepsy care.

1.Uses key skills of assessment, interpretation and analysis of findings, utilising clinical expertise and judgement to prevent inappropriate hospital admissions and promote effective hospital discharge planning wherever possible. Provide and co-ordinate support to children and young people with epilepsy, implementing health promotion as appropriate. Teach children and young people, families and carers to competently carry out specific nursing care and procedures as required.

2.Plans, develops, co-ordinates and manages service provision for children and young people with epilepsy.

3. Assesses patients, plans and implements appropriate models of care, provides specialist advice to schools, universal services and voluntary organisations, and maintains contemporaneous and accurate records.

4.Works as a key member of multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams, leading and promoting care to ensure a seamless service across acute and community settings.

5.Is competent in performing advanced clinical nursing skills appropriate to the caseload, including, participating in joint consultant-led and nurse-led clinics to support children and young people with epilepsy. Using clinic-based tools for the assessment, diagnosis and management of children and young people with epilepsy. Providing direct and telephone advice to children, young people, parents and carers regarding seizure control and management. Liaising, where appropriate, with primary, secondary and tertiary care services regarding neurological and neurosurgical management.

6. Liaises with epilepsy management support structures at Southend Hospital and across the region and supports the implementation of NICE guidance to improve the care of children and young people with epilepsy and their families. Supports the development of medication management protocols.Develops training materials and provides education for children, young people, parents, carers, and health, education and social care staff in seizure prevention and management. Leads on the transition of children and young people from paediatric to adult neurology services in partnership with the named consultant.

7. Effectively communicates complex and sensitive information to children, families and carers, including supporting diagnosis, breaking bad news, palliative care and bereavement.

8. Supports palliative care and provides symptom management in end-of-life care, advising and guiding other professionals as required.

9. Adheres to Trust child protection procedures and policies, taking a lead role when working with children and young people in the safeguarding arena. Provides informative and accurate reports, ensuring the lived experience of the child or young person is clearly represented.

10. Provides line management and professional support to Band 6 staff within the team, as required by the Lead Nurse.

11. Leads and participates in clinical audit and the development of procedures and protocols relating to epilepsy management, medications and epilepsy devices, and disseminates research findings as appropriate.

12. Maintains a non-judgemental approach when working within the home environment and in all aspects of practice, regardless of circumstances.

1. Contributes to the development and implementation of training programmes, protocols, procedures and care pathways within Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and across South East Essex.

2.Provides up-to-date education and expert advice to the multidisciplinary team and works collaboratively with colleagues across services.

3. Attends and participates in induction, mandatory training and other study days as identified.

4. Maintains and develops own professional knowledge and competence in accordance with NMC requirements.

5. Keeps up to date with developments in epilepsy care, treatment and epilepsy surgery.

6. Acts as a mentor, assessor or supervisor for pre-registration and post-registration nursing and medical staff, as appropriate.

7. Supports the development of resource materials relating to the care and management of children and young people with epilepsy.

8. Teaches children and young people, relatives and carers about their condition, treatment options and self-management strategies.

1. Accountable for practising in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

2. Receives clinical and safeguarding supervision in accordance with Trust policies and professional standards.

3. Actively participates in peer review and audit of clinical practice.

4. Promotes and undertakes clinical audit activities, including the Epilepsy12 Audit, and works collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to ensure service delivery meets national standards and best practice tariffs.

5. Ensures clinical practice is informed by robust research evidence and actively promotes and supports innovation and new ways of working to improve patient outcomes.

6. Contributes to the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, procedures and clinical guidelines relevant to epilepsy care.

7.Participates in incident reporting, risk management and the investigation of complaints as required, supporting a culture of continuous quality improvement and patient safety.

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

Work that wraps around your needs

Qualifications

Desirable: - Management/Leadership Training; - Non-medical prescriber qualification; - Advanced communication training; - Clinical assessment skills

Knowledge

Desirable: - Ability to be creative and innovative to meet demands on the epilepsy service

Skills

Desirable: - Experience of audit/research; - Experience of developing a service; - Experience as a team lead/manager