Arrhythmia Specialist Nurse

The primary objective is to ensure that patients identified with an arrhythmia are managed in line with current Trust and National guidelines. With support from Consultant Cardiologists and working as part of a multidisciplinary cardiology team, the post holder will be expected to develop and deliver improved integrated care pathways for diagnosis and treatment for patients who have or have developed a cardiac arrhythmia.

Main duties:

• Serve as a point of contact and clinical expert for patients, relatives and clinician colleagues.
• Run outpatient clinics to fully investigate and diagnose arrhythmic conditions with appropriate medical therapy and follow‑up.
• Run a nurse‑led loop recorder implant and explant service, including subsequent analysis of recordings.
• Participate in, manage and lead a dedicated, nurse‑led arrhythmia and cardioversion/cardiac procedures outpatient and inpatient clinic.
• Provide arrhythmia outreach to front of house.

Job responsibilities:

• The post is nominally based at Darlington Memorial Hospital but may also be requested to work from University Hospital North Durham.
• It will involve working across professional and organisational boundaries to deliver seamless integrated multidisciplinary health care for patients with arrhythmias and syncope.
• A requirement to work evenings and weekends may apply.
• To deliver a quality and highly specialist service for arrhythmia patients based on researched clinical practice; working with Cardiology consultants and the multidisciplinary cardiology team to deliver care along agreed clinical pathways, including ambulatory care pathways to ensure admission avoidance where appropriate and agreed.
• To be an adept autonomous practitioner able to demonstrate good interpersonal skills to enable effective working within a multidisciplinary team setting, in line with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.
• The post holder will be a highly visible figure to patients, relatives and colleagues to raise awareness of signs and symptoms, diagnostic investigations, treatment and monitoring options for patients diagnosed with arrhythmias.
• Be expected to identify patients with AF, risk‑stratify them and anticoagulate when indicated.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• Evidence of ongoing development and education and progression or willingness to progress to MA / MSc modular courses.
• Physical assessment/examination clinical assessment accreditation.
• Secondary prevention / post‑basic cardiology qualification.
• Teaching / mentorship qualification (ENB 998 or equivalent).
• Advanced / Intermediate life support or equivalent.
• Independent prescriber or currently working towards.
• Advanced level ECG interpretation, arrhythmia or heart failure qualification.

Experience:

• Relevant and recent cardiology experience with evidence of advanced clinical decision‑making skills and expanded scope of practice in cardiology.
• Autonomous and collaborative working in cardiology.
• Experience in disease prevention / health promotion.
• Evidence of leadership in the implementation of new ideas, policies, research and development of specialist protocols to provide evidence‑based care.
• Primary care experience.

Special Requirements:

• Able to travel independently around County Durham & Darlington.
• Flexible attitude to work.
• Able to safely move and handle loads.
• Driving posts must have a valid Full UK driving licence.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the cardiology disease process and evidence‑based treatments.
• Ability to work independently to diagnose or exclude cardiology conditions.
• Understanding of the national and local agenda for cardiology and specialist services.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Good organisational and facilitation skills.
• Ability to be reflective.

Statutory Registration:

• Nursing Midwifery Council part 1 and 2 Registration.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.