Registered Nurse - Twilight Hours in Tonbridge

Make a real difference every day. At Heart of Kent Hospice, we are looking for a passionate, dedicated Registered Nurse to join our award-winning team for twilight shifts. This is your chance to provide exceptional, compassionate care in a supportive and friendly environment where every moment matters.

Why You'll Love This Role

• Deliver true patient-centered care with the time and attention you’ve always wanted to give.
• Work alongside a close-knit multidisciplinary team that values collaboration and respect.
• Be part of a CQC-rated Outstanding Hospice that champions excellence and innovation.

Main duties of the job

• Join a workplace that values compassion, integrity, respect, and teamwork.
• Working as one of the multidisciplinary specialist palliative care team in the provision of a coordinated and comprehensive service to inpatients, their families and carers.
• This will be achieved through the provision of specialist palliative care interventions based on comprehensive holistic assessment, agreement of goal-focused care planning, education and support to patients, families and carers.
• In conjunction with the Head of IPU, support the development of clinical practice on the inpatient unit through the planning, implementation and evaluation of service development which meets the needs of the multidisciplinary team.

About us

At Heart of Kent Hospice, we believe that everyone deserves compassionate, expert care when there is no cure for their illness and when they have a limited time left to live. We are a charity and we don’t charge a penny for our care. We depend on the compassion and kindness of you, the people of this community, to power our services and ensure that everyone gets the help they need. We provide specialist care and support to adults who have a terminal illness as well as their families, friends and carers. We help people to live as fully and as well as possible for the rest of their lives and ensure that their final days are comfortable and peaceful, wherever they choose to be. We treat every individual as the unique and special person that they are. Everything we do is tailored and personalised.

Our vision is that everyone living with a terminal illness in our community will have the best quality of life. Our purpose is to enable people with a terminal illness in our community to live with comfort, independence and dignity to the end of their lives, and to support those closest to them. All our care is underpinned by our core values of compassion, integrity, respect and teamwork. These values guide our decision-making and how we conduct ourselves in our work and every one of our colleagues plays an important part in enabling us to give our patients and their families the best possible care. If you’re passionate about our cause consider joining our team.

Job responsibilities

• Clinical Practice

• Working as part of the inpatient unit under the direction of the Clinical Sister / Head of IPU, Sister and Senior Registered Nurse, facilitate the highest possible standards of individualised physical, psychological, social and spiritual nursing care for patients, their relatives and carers prioritising need in line with available resources.
• To work as a member of the team providing best possible outcomes for patients, families and carers, ensuring that the patients’ dignity is promoted and respected and that equality and diversity are priorities of care.
• Undertake comprehensive specialist palliative care nursing assessments, agreeing a plan of care for patients and families based on clear goals intended to bring about effective, measurable outcomes.
• Work in partnership with other members of the multidisciplinary team to help patients achieve their preferred place of care.
• Provide advice and guidance related to symptom management, psychosocial and spiritual needs referring appropriately to relevant professionals or services.
• Carry out regular audits ensuring that protocols, policies and integrated care pathways are developed, implemented and evaluated and are consistent with national and international standards and current research; support changes in practice which improve clinical outcomes and meet the needs of patients, families and carers.
• Take responsibility for recognition and assessment of the educational and developmental needs of colleagues, participating in the creation, delivery and evaluation of learning opportunities that fulfill these requirements.
• Provide clear explanations and education as appropriate to ensure that patients, families and staff have the information they require in a timely fashion.
• To act as a resource across the health economy within this specialist area.
• To participate in the development, review and audit of quality standards and contribute to the process of continuous quality improvement monitoring, reporting to the Clinical Care & Quality Assurance Committee.
• Ensure patients and professionals have appropriate links to colleagues in the organisation ensuring continuity of advice and intervention through effective team working.
• Regularly attend multidisciplinary team meetings, proactively discussing patients, ensuring the most appropriate plans of action are in place for individuals.
• In the best interests of patients and families, proactively collaborate with a wide range of internal and external professionals developing effective working relationships and ensuring effective communication channels are established between the partner agencies, patients and families.
• Maintain full, accurate and confidential clinical records, both in computer and written form, in accordance with mandatory legal requirements and the Hospice standards for nursing documentation.
• Challenge professional and organisational boundaries, identifying areas of skills, knowledge and development to provide continuity and high-quality patient centred healthcare.

• Supervise the work of junior team members and volunteers, providing a point of expertise and knowledge for complex patient problems.
• Provide nursing support and mentorship to colleagues, ensuring clinical staff are prepared and supported in their roles.
• Support the team in the active development of Healthcare Assistant and volunteer roles.
• Participate in strategic service reviews and service development initiatives as appropriate.
• Attend meetings pertinent to organisational and professional responsibilities.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date statistics and utilise Hospice computerised systems to establish and monitor appropriate patient/client information. In conjunction with the Senior Registered Nurses produce reports, analyses and documentation.
• Represent the Hospice on relevant external groups and be responsive to and work with policy agendas as appropriate.
• To participate in a rota that ensures provision of patient care 24 hours / 7 days a week as set by the Clinical Sister/ Head of IPU.

• Maintain own expert clinical knowledge and skills, including advanced communication skills, and achieve the educational standards set out in line with the skills, knowledge and competency level required of enhanced practitioners and by the role.
• To participate in the performance review and appraisal process known as Your Snapshot. Identify personal development and training needs through clinical supervision and the performance appraisal process, and undertake relevant training, including all statutory and mandatory training and development.
• To participate in the induction and ongoing training and development of all clinical staff, students on placements and volunteers.
• To participate in the Hospice’s multidisciplinary formal and informal teaching programmes for internal and external staff. This will include students undergoing courses or gaining experience in the Hospice.
• To promote a collegiate, innovative, creative and supportive learning environment that welcomes ongoing learning, change and development.

• Keep abreast of research and audit activity to ensure that his/her practice is appropriately updated in line with latest guidance, research findings and organisational policies and procedures.
• Assess, report and manage risks in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Code and the organisation’s policies, and undertake to review practices and learn from experience.
• To comply with the Hospice’s policy and procedure in handling any complaints.
• Contribute to and support the Clinical Governance framework of the organisation, and keep up to date with governance activity and latest policies and procedures.
• Initiate and/or participate in research and audit, and promote an awareness of and participate in the dissemination of research findings through clinical application to ensure enhanced patient/family care.
• Actively work to ratified clinical policies and procedures.
• Abide by all organisational policies and guidance in relation to confidentiality and information governance. Any disclosure of confidential information including personal information kept on computer or other media made unlawfully outside the proper course of duty will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence.
• Keep up to date with current legislation, professional practice issues and relevant developments in palliative and bereavement care.

• To promote close working relationships and good communication links with colleagues at all levels throughout the Hospice, and maintain good communications with external contacts as appropriate.
• Maintain effective links with educational and palliative care organisations as appropriate.

• To take reasonable care of the health and safety of yourself and others that may be affected by what you do while at work, and to co-operate in the implementation of the Hospice’s health and safety policies and procedures.

• To initiate and/or participate in the production of promotional material for distribution to potential stakeholders.
• To support fundraising/volunteer events as appropriate.

• Organise and prioritise any competing demands of the role, completing duties as required within working hours.
• To conduct yourself at all times in a manner befitting the post and the professional dignity of the Hospice, and ensure that the Hospice is positively represented to the public and other stakeholders.
• To work as a member of the Hospice team to foster the team’s caring mission and to have a commitment to the cause of helping patients and their families with palliative care needs.
• To commit to our culture framework which outlines how we expect everyone at Heart of Kent Hospice individually and as a team to ensure the best possible experience for our patients, their families, our supporters and our local community.
• Champion best practice in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in everything we do.
• Have fun and challenge yourself at work, championing our values and behaviours and abiding by our policies and procedures.
• Adapt and develop in line with the changing needs of the role.
• Act as an ambassador for The Heart of Kent Hospice in order to raise the profile of the organisation at local, regional and national level as required.
• Work flexibly across departments from time to time as may be requested.
• Undertake other duties commensurate with the seniority of the post as may reasonably be requested.

The post holder will work within the NMC Code of Conduct and Scope of Professional Practice at all times. All organisational policies and procedures will be followed.

Person Specification

• Registered General Nurse
• Proven commitment to continuous personal development
• Proven achievement in quality improvement
• Experience working in a palliative care setting
• Knowledge of symptom management - end of life care and recognising palliative care emergencies
• Knowledge of the key CQC standards
• 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.