Heart Failure Specialist Nurse

The Heart Failure Specialist Nurse will be a key member of the Long Term Conditions team, responsible for the delivery of expert community cardiac care and in particular, heart failure.

The post holder will have their own caseload of patients and take on direct responsibility to deliver high quality, holistic care to local residents, ensuring that patients have equal access to services that are responsive, personalized and patient-led.

The post holder will be responsible for assessing their patients physical, emotional and psycho-social care needs.

The post holder will support patients and their carers to ensure they understand their cardiac condition and involve them in planning their care.

The heart failure specialist nurse will work alongside experienced heart failure nurses and the cardiac rehabilitation team to provide a comprehensive and individualised package of care, as well as liaising with the patients GP and any other health care professionals.

This position will require the post holder to work from an office base with regular travel to provide clinics in community settings and home visits.

Key Task and Responsibilities

To work within the Long-Term Conditions team to ensure delivery of holistic, streamlined and patient-focused care.

To take direct responsibility for the assessment of patients physical, emotional, psycho-social needs.

To work with the multi-disciplinary team to plan and deliver services which are responsive to the needs of the patient and their families.

Assist in co-ordination of service provision with other agencies to ensure maximum benefit to patients.

To communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and carers to maximise their potential to understand and manage their cardiac condition involving them in planning their programme of self-care.

The post holder has personal responsibilities for working with colleagues to create good working relationships in a spirit which promotes teamwork and encourages motivation, innovation and high standards of clinical practice.

To have comprehensive knowledge of NICE guidelines and European Cardiac Society guidelines for best practice and ensure their implementation in the community heart failure service.

Keep abreast of new heart failure management and health care related developments and maintains own personal and professional development and attend regular one to ones.

Ability to prioritise and evaluate own workload

To observe the NMC Professional code of conduct and practice including up to date registration at all times.

Management responsibilities

Early informal management of complaints with the aim of a satisfactory resolution. Ensure appropriate escalation when this is not achieved.

Capability for deputising for the senior Heart Failure Specialist Nurses where appropriate.

Knowledge and understanding of the Long-Term Conditions strategy and capability for contribution to the strategy for Long Term Conditions within Oxleas NHS Trust.

To participate in the development of appropriate guidelines, protocols, audit and evaluation.

Leadership

Take an active role in the teaching and development of the multidisciplinary team in heart failure management.

To support students on clinical placement and to assist them with undertaking assessments and filling in documentation.

To participate in clinical supervision on a regular basis either by self or in a team environment.

Contribute to the implement of education programmes to meet the needs of heart failure patients.

Clinical

Use advanced clinical assessment skills, including physical assessment for assessing and formulating individualised care plans for patients with heart failure using relevant clinical protocols.

To provide advice and support on the change of medication within set protocols.

Provide an environment that encourages client centred involvement where clients are facilitated to ask for help, advice, and education.

Manage a caseload generated from a defined population requiring heart failure care.

To take part in nurse led clinics in the community for the assessment and education and active management of patients with heart failure.

To discuss with patients, relatives and carers specific aspects of care and treatment, including physical complications, drug efficacy and side effects etc.

Work closely with the patients family and GP practice to maximise patients health potential.

Liaises with both the patients GP and consultant cardiologist in the event of increased symptoms that need urgent investigation or possible admission to hospital.

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

Qualifications

Experience

Skills

Knowledge

Personal attributes