Clinical Nurse Specialist

In this community‑based role, you’ll manage your own caseload, offering skilled clinical advice, thoughtful interventions, and meaningful support to patients and those close to them. You’ll work closely with local GPs and Community Nurses to ensure everyone receives the right care, at the right time, from the people they trust.

You’ll be based in Exeter and contribute to our seven‑day service, helping us reach more people who need our specialist support.

As a Registered Nurse with experience in palliative care, you’ll play a vital role in supporting people living with complex, life‑limiting illnesses. Working as part of our friendly multi‑disciplinary team, you’ll provide compassionate, evidence‑based care that is shaped around each person’s needs, wishes and wellbeing.

JOB DETAILS

Job Title: Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

Band: 6

Location: Community

Hours: Ason contract, to include on‑call

Team/Directorate: Community Cluster

Responsible To: Community Cluster Team Leader (CCTL)

Accountable to: Chief Nurse

To deliver an excellent standard of evidence‑based specialist palliative nursing care and clinical advice.

To promote dignity, encompassing a person‑centred approach, to positively enhance the lives of patients in the community with complex life‑limiting illnesses.

3.1 Main responsibilities

• Provide advanced specialist palliative care by contributing highly experienced clinical judgement and knowledge in complex palliative and end‑of‑life care to promote best practice for adults with life‑limiting illnesses.
• Demonstrate advanced communication skills and professionalism in all interactions with patients and those close to them, carers and other professionals to promote and maintain Hospiscare values.
• Contribute to the daily clinical leadership of junior staff within the community team to ensure team effectiveness, cover and cohesion.
• Deliver education and learning, both internally and externally, for all involved in palliative/end‑of‑life care to ensure evidence‑based practice.
• Attend and contribute to multi‑disciplinary, complex care and Gold Standards Framework (GSF) or End of Life meetings to promote best practice.
• Contribute to Hospiscare’s clinical governance and audit process to support continuous quality improvement and learning.
• Assess and identify complex bereavement and effectively communicate with the Supportive Care team to enable a seamless handover into Hospiscare’s Bereavement Care Services.

Infection Prevention and Control

Maintaining a safe environment for patients, visitors and employees is everyone’s responsibility. All staff are required to adhere to Hospiscare’s Infection Prevention and Control Policy and to maintain high standards of infection prevention and control at all times.

Disclosure and Barring Service

This role requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced level check with Adults and Children Barred Lists.

• CCTL and Community teams
• Chief Nurse
• Ward Manager and IPU team
• Medical team
• Supportive Care Services
• Clinical Governance
• Clinical Administration
• Learning & Development team

• Patients and those close to them
• Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
• NHS Community Services
• General Practitioners
• Residential and Nursing Homes
• Social and Domiciliary Care Workers
• Providers of out‑of‑hours services

• Ensure that Health and Safety guidelines and fire regulations are strictly adhered to.
• Comply with safe working practices as defined by Hospiscare.
• Complete online training as and when required.
• Treat yourself and others with reasonable care for health and safety.
• Report any accidents, incidents or near misses promptly.
• Manage your work–life balance and general wellbeing, including any pressures related to lone working, travel, difficult environments and challenging situations.

• Adhere to Hospiscare policies and procedures at all times.
• Take part in performance reviews throughout the year.
• Cooperate with other Hospiscare departments.
• Attend training courses and complete online modules as required to meet the post’s requirements.
• Take…