Band 7/8a - Respiratory Specialist Nurse/Practitioner, Respiratory

We are seeking a skilled and compassionate Senior Nurse/Practitioner to join our Respiratory Nursing Team, supporting both acute and virtual hospital services. In this vital role, you will manage a caseload of patients with airway diseases, including those with acute deterioration, and offer long-term follow-up for chronic respiratory conditions. You will work closely with a multidisciplinary team, providing specialist nursing support, education, and care to patients with severe asthma, COPD, pleural diseases, pulmonary embolism, and bronchiectasis. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to participate in acute respiratory clinics, virtual hospital services, and undertake oxygen assessments. We are looking for a proactive and dedicated individual, who is passionate about respiratory care and committed to delivering high-quality patient outcomes. This role offers a fantastic opportunity to grow your skills and make a real difference to patients' lives.

Main duties of the job

• Clinical & Leadership: Manage the care and coordination of patients with respiratory conditions, ensuring effective supervision and clinical leadership. Monitor staffing, resources, and training needs, ensuring the team is equipped to deliver optimal respiratory care.
• Patient-Centred Respiratory Care: Ensure patients receive personalised, holistic care tailored to their individual respiratory needs. Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to resolve concerns from patients and their families.
• Teamwork & Development: Work alongside the multidisciplinary and clinical teams to provide a high rate service to patients.
• Health, Safety & Security: Support the respiratory ward/area adheres to cleanliness, safety, and infection control standards. Oversee drug administration procedures and maintain compliance with clinical governance and information security regulations.
• Education & Practice in Respiratory Care: Support a learning environment for respiratory care, including mentoring and induction for new staff and students.
• Research & Professional Responsibilities: Utilise research to inform and enhance evidence-based practice in respiratory care. Maintain professional development through ongoing training and ensure professional registration is up to date.

Key Performance Indicators: Track respiratory care-specific performance metrics, including patient satisfaction, readmission rates, infection control, and clinical outcomes.

Working for our organisation: With a new hospital planned for Watford and work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital, this is an exciting time to join us. We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working ever more closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare. Staff wellbeing and development are a priority at our Trust, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience. Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others. We offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work-life balance.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• Coordinating and supporting Respiratory patients care.
• Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement effective care plans.
• Supporting the development and delivery of Respiratory patients to enhance patient outcomes.
• Ensuring high standards of care, patient experience, and safety.
• Providing specialist care, mentoring, and support workforce.
• Working in collaboration with trust partners.

Person specification:

• Education: Educated to Degree level. Evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to clinical field. Supervisory skills training/formal leadership/management training. Teaching qualification or extensive experience. Educated or working towards master’s level – relevant to specialty. ARTP spirometry accreditation (training will be provided if not completed).
• Knowledge: Knowledge of and excellent clinical reasoning skills in the assessment, management, and treatment of respiratory patients. Knowledge of recent NHS developments and their impact on service provision. Knowledge of local policy initiatives. Knowledge of best practice in the management and treatment of patients with respiratory conditions. Knowledge of clinical governance processes & risk assessment.
• Experience: Post-registration experience at a senior level. Experience as a respiratory nurse. Experience of clinical leadership. Experience at undertaking complex assessments and providing care to people with complex needs.

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides acute healthcare services to a core catchment population of approximately half a million people living in west Hertfordshire and the surrounding area. The Trust also provides a range of more specialist services to a wider population, serving residents of North London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and East Hertfordshire. As an employer of nearly 6,000 people, the Trust is one of the biggest employers in the area and sees nearly a million patients each year.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.