Hospice Charge Nurse/Ward Sister

Desirable

• Relevant post-registration qualification in palliative or end-of-life care.
• Practice education, supervision or assessing qualification/equivalent preparation.

Essential

• Significant post-registration nursing experience, including experience of caring for patients with palliative and end-of-life care needs
• Provides and coordinates care for patients with complex and changing clinical needs.
• Works effectively within a multidisciplinary team to coordinate patient care and contribute to clinical decision-making
• Provides day-to-day clinical leadership, support and guidance to other staff.
• Supervises and supports the development of staff and/or learners.
• Contributes to maintaining and improving standards of care, including through audit, quality improvement or service development

Essential

• Applies knowledge of palliative and end-of-life care to the management of patients with complex and changing needs.
• Applies knowledge of symptom assessment and management within own professional scope of practice
• Applies evidence, professional standards and relevant clinical guidance to nursing practice.
• Works within professional, legal and organisational requirements, including NMC standards, safeguarding, consent, confidentiality and information governance.
• Applies principles of clinical governance, patient safety, risk management and incident reporting.
• Applies knowledge of leadership, supervision and staff development within clinical practice
• Uses learning from evidence, audit, incidents and patient experience to support improvements in care.

Essential

• Undertakes comprehensive nursing assessment, care planning, implementation and evaluation for patients with complex palliative and end-of-life care needs.
• Demonstrates sound clinical judgement and responds appropriately to deterioration, changing need and clinical risk
• Communicates complex, sensitive and distressing information effectively and compassionately with patients and those important to them.
• Provides effective clinical leadership, direction and support to staff.
• Organises and prioritises own workload and coordinates the work of others in response to changing clinical and operational demands.
• Manages challenging situations and conflict appropriately and escalates concerns where required.
• Works collaboratively and influences effectively across professional and service boundaries
• Maintains accurate clinical records and uses relevant digital systems effectively