Senior Registered Nurse (Hospice at Home South Lakes)

As part of the Hospice's commitment to the South Lakes, we have a permanent opportunity for a Senior Registered Nurse to work from our brand‑new base in Windermere. This role offers the chance to develop your skills and make a difference within the community. Our new Windermere base strengthens specialist palliative services, reducing travel time and allowing closer collaboration with local colleagues to ensure right care at the right place and time. If you are compassionate and driven to help patients and their loved ones during difficult times, and you are looking for a community role providing skilled nursing care for palliative and end‑of‑life patients, we would like to hear from you.

Key role info:

• Shift pattern: 9 am–5 pm, 5 out of 7 days. Includes weekends and bank holidays.
• Visits predominantly in the South Lakes; may include wider catchment areas as needed.
• Entitled to claim out‑of‑pocket expenses (mileage, parking) per policy.
• Required to attend main Hospice for training, meetings, and events as necessary.

Main duties of the job

JOB PURPOSE

• Provide skilled nursing care for patients with palliative and end‑of‑life needs and their families.
• Raise clinical standards and promote a learning environment for other health providers.
• Plan, assess, implement, and evaluate patient care.
• Work effectively with community professionals, support services, and primary health and palliative care teams.
• Support and direct Registered Nurses, Assistant Practitioners, and Healthcare Assistants in implementing individualised care plans.
• Lead and coordinate shifts, managing the nursing team and volunteers to ensure adequate staffing.
• Support continuous quality improvement and flexibly meet service demands, including unsocial hours, weekends, and bank holidays.

The ideal candidate would have previously worked in a community setting; however, we welcome applications from experienced individuals in other settings.

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES

• Participate in assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of evidence‑based nursing care for patients and families.
• Provide support, information and advice to patients, families and professional colleagues.
• Develop knowledge and expertise in symptom management.
• Supervise junior team members, student nurses and volunteers.

Clinical

• Work with multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic care, integrating nursing with physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs.
• Assess patients and families, ensuring professional accountability and compliance with policies, procedures and legislation.
• Demonstrate clinical competence and expertise in palliative care.
• Participate in nursing care reviews and team meetings.
• Maintain accurate patient records with patient and family support.
• Maintain confidentiality of all information.
• Communicate issues regarding workload to the team.
• Manage volunteers and provide feedback on performance.
• Adhere to all standard operating procedures.

Communication

• Participate in professional discussions and act as patient advocate.
• Attend weekly whiteboard meetings and daily South Lakes handovers.
• Update MDT members on patient situations.
• Promote multidisciplinary approaches to patient care.
• Use communication skills to convey sensitive information.
• Ensure patients and families understand treatment plans.
• Attend service and team meetings.

Management

• Maintain a safe clinical environment and manage resources efficiently.
• Ensure competency in equipment use and report malfunctions.
• Lead and coordinate shifts, ensuring quality care.
• Adhere to policies, NMC standards and code of conduct.
• Report issues to line manager promptly.
• Contribute to practice development and governance projects.
• Line‑manage a cohort of Healthcare Assistants.

Education and development

• Maintain relevant knowledge and skills, responsible for CPD.
• Participate in appraisal, personal development plans, and mandatory training.
• Provide mentorship to new staff, students, and volunteers.
• Attend relevant hospice education sessions.
• Co‑ordinate teaching and learning activities within Community Services.
• Adopt new technology and methods as appropriate.
• Promote hospice philosophy and core values.
• Extend clinical and professional knowledge through opportunities.
• Maintain accountability for clinical practice and CPD.
• Encourage analytical approaches to health care delivery.

Audit

• Support evidence‑based practice development and implementation.
• Support audits within Community Services.
• Respond to patient/family complaints and report to senior staff.
• Report near misses, accidents or incidents per hospice policy.

Other

• Act as ambassador, engaging in public speaking and fundraising as required.
• Work outside South Lakes locality when needed.
• Attend training, meetings and events at main hospice as needed.
• Follow Data Protection Act 2018 and safeguarding codes.
• Perform other duties as agreed with Director of Nursing and Quality.
• Embrace development opportunities as they arise.

STANDARD/ENHANCED DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

Enhanced DBS disclosure + Adult Barring Check required. The cost of this check is £54.30 and will be deducted from the successful applicant's first salary payment.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO ST. JOHNS HOSPICE

Please refer to the uploaded Job description for full details of the points below.

Confidentiality

• Health and Safety
• External Interests
• Statutory Training
• Flexibility
• Safeguarding
• Disclosure and Barring
• Equality and Inclusion

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered General Nurse (RGN)
• Full UK Driving Licence
• Mentorship or similar qualification, or willingness to undertake Diploma in Health Studies
• Qualifications in teaching, assessing, oncology or palliative care
• Evidence of continued professional development

Experience

• At least 2 years post‑registration experience in acute or community setting
• Palliative care experience
• Multidisciplinary working

Knowledge and Skills

• Good written and oral communication skills
• Basic IT skills, including Microsoft Office
• Clinical audit

Values and personal attributes

• Commitment to high standards of patient care
• Self‑motivated, lifelong learning principle
• Ability to work independently and in team
• Professional attitude and behaviour
• Demonstrate hospice values and ethos

Other

• Access to a vehicle during working hours (business insurance cover required)
• Lives in South Lakes or willing to be based there for work

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A Disclosure and Barring Service check is required to examine any previous criminal convictions.

£40,560 to £41,808 per year based on 37½ hrs/week, dependent on pension scheme.