Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) for Haemoglobinopathies

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Haemoglobinopathy nursing team for a new band 8a post to lead the expanding haemoglobinopathy apheresis service on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site. Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust was granted Specialist Haemoglobinopathy Team (SHT) status in April 2019 and services an adult and paediatric haemoglobinopathy patient population of approximately 1,000, one of the largest in the country.

The post will join an established Clinical Nurse Specialist team at LGT and will develop clinical links with teams of the tertiary centres of KCH and GSTT when joint management of complex patients is required. The haemoglobinopathies service is currently provided at the University Hospital Lewisham site; however, with expansion of the service, the successful candidate will be expected to lead the service at Queen Elizabeth site. While there will be an element of cross-site work (approximately 10% of worktime), the majority of time (approximately 90% of worktime) for this post will be spent on leadership and delivery of apheresis at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Applicants will have a full MSc in Advanced Practice or comparable qualifications and will be able to evidence a portfolio of practice with a relevant speciality. Experience in haemoglobinopathies and apheresis will be an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead the expansion of the haemoglobinopathy apheresis service at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in collaboration with the Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist on the Lewisham site.
• Deliver evidence-based expert clinical care exercising a high degree of professional autonomy.
• Provide holistic individual consultation of patients using a range of assessment methods including medical history taking, physical assessment, clinical investigations and risk stratification tools.
• Order and interpret investigations, laboratory tests, appropriate imaging and act on results as appropriate.
• Reach a valid, reliable and comprehensive conclusion based on clinical findings.
• Initiate drug therapy/medication within agreed clinical guidelines and in accordance with prescribing legislation.
• Communicate with patients in ways that empower them to make informed choices about their health and healthcare.
• Actively implement and manage evidence-based therapeutic programmes that improve patient health outcomes.
• Work in partnership with other clinical teams and make appropriate referrals to optimise health outcomes and resources.
• Make ethically based decisions in partnership with patients, clients and other professionals when precedents and protocols are lacking.
• Provide specialist knowledge, advice, resource information and support to clinical staff across the trust.
• Promote the improvement of quality and clinical effectiveness within resource constraints.
• Develop practices appropriate to patient and service needs, considering broader epidemiological, demographic, social, political, legislative and professional trends.
• Identify the need for change and proactively generate practice innovations to meet patient and service needs.
• Develop and undertake activities to monitor the progress and efficiency of the service.
• Monitor and assess risk in own and others’ practice and challenge where necessary.
• Critically appraise and synthesise outcomes of relevant research, evaluations and audits, applying information for practice improvement.
• Contribute to the development of the specialist service and act as a change agent.
• Work across professional, organisational and system boundaries to develop and sustain new partnerships and networks.
• Review and update documentation and policies specifically required by the team.
• Conform to all relevant Trust policies and procedures.
• Lead the team in establishing and maintaining effective communication channels with the multi-disciplinary team, patients and external agencies.
• Coordinate, lead and manage clinic activities on a day-to-day basis.
• Assist with investigation of complaints and lead on development of action plans to address concerns.
• Participate in recruitment, selection and retention of staff.
• Represent the Trust on national forums related to Advanced Clinical Practice.
• Prioritise, organise and manage own workload to promote quality outcomes.
• Adhere to confidentiality at all times when dealing with sensitive personal data.
• Systematically monitor investigations and appointments in collaboration with administration and managerial staff.
• Ensure compliance with care pathways and service development.
• Provide reports of statistics, service and practice developments when required.
• Maintain high standards of documentation in accordance with the Trust documentation policy.
• Participate in teaching programmes for nursing and clinical education across the haemoglobinopathy service.
• Show personal commitment to clinical education and development, plan and deliver interventions meeting learning needs.
• Raise awareness of local, regional, national and international perspectives in clinical specialities.
• Provide training and education opportunities within the team, the Trust and beyond.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary research and clinical audit of haemophilia and haematology services.
• Develop research skills and support implementation of evidence-based practice changes.
• Participate in regional and national research evaluating patient experience strategies.
• Share best practice through publications and conference presentations.
• Apply sound financial evaluation to proposed service developments.
• Maintain accurate records of equipment used and maintained by the haemoglobinopathies and haematology service team.
• Ensure systems exist to manage, reduce and prevent clinical risk.
• Monitor incidents highlighted by the emergency team and communicate to appropriate areas.
• Promote best practice in health & safety, utilising unit and Trust policies.

Qualifications & Training

• MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice or equivalent.
• NMC Registration.
• Non-Medical Prescribing Qualification.
• Portfolio of practice evidencing level of practice.
• Evidence of radiology requesting.
• Academic qualifications in Haemoglobinopathies (desirable).

Person Specification

Essential

• Autonomous practice experience.
• Experience of leadership within a relevant service.
• Experience running own clinics/workload.
• Experience in apheresis.
• Broad clinical experience relevant to the post, including general medicine principles.
• Experience teaching patients and staff, including health promotion.
• Advanced clinical assessment and documentation skills.
• Critical decision-making skills, including non-medical prescribing.
• Medicines management, experience with Patient Group Directives (PGDs).
• Experience of appraisals.
• Evidence of radiology requesting.

Desirable

• Prior clinical education role.
• Experience in a range of acute care settings, including haematology and oncology.
• Experience of leading projects at an organisation level.
• Clinical audit and research interest.
• Research skills.
• Publication record.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check for any previous criminal convictions. Applicants must have current UK professional registration. Further information can be found on the NHS Careers website.

Equal Opportunities

Our people are our greatest asset. We cultivate a culture of engagement, equality, diversity and inclusion. Our initiatives focus on improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, who identify as LGBTQ+ and women, widening access, improving the experience of staff with disability, enhancing EDI literacy and adding equalities into mainstream practice.