Paediatric Asthma Clinical Nurse Specialist

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is one of the largest healthcare systems in the United Kingdom, employing approximately 40,000 staff across a wide range of clinical and non‑clinical professions and roles. We deliver acute hospital, primary, community and mental health services to a population of over 1.15 million people, and to a wider population of 2.2 million when regional and national services are included.

Responsible for leading and coordination of care for children/young people with severe, life‑threatening complex asthma. This includes developing personalised asthma plans for severe/near fatal asthmatic episodes, individualised child/family education to develop asthma regulation skills, communication with the family, primary & community care services to ensure compliance with drug treatment and health behaviours, and working with school staff to ensure a safe physical environment.

Provides a local and tertiary (for West of Scotland) highly specialised paediatric asthma nurse consultative service for management of children with severe chronic asthma. The service is provided via in-patient consultations, appointments at the nurse run specialist asthma clinic and/or by telephone. The service is available to children and families, health professionals and the general public.

Lead in asthma policy and service development to support nursing and medical staff to deliver high quality paediatric asthma care. This includes developing and implementing educational materials and technologies, asthma care plans, and competency training. All of which are subject to audit and research by the asthma nurse.

Permanent, Full time

Base location - Royal Hospital for Children

Shift Pattern - Monday-Friday

• Provides highly specialised advice and individual care plans for children/young people with severe, life‑threatening and complex asthma.
• Works autonomously as a clinical expert, managing patients and running a weekly nurse‑led asthma clinic offering assessment, education and support.
• Delivers a paediatric asthma nurse specialist telephone helpline for families and professionals.
• Ensures specialist nursing input aligns with current standards and protocols.
• Promotes continuity of care for all referred children and families.
• Acts as a role model, offering expert advice to hospital and community staff.

• Maintains professional standards in line with the NMC Code and NHS GG&C requirements.
• Follows organisational health and safety practices.
• Evaluates own practice using evidence‑based approaches.
• Contributes 20% of working time to generic ward shifts.

• Leads a personal research programme relevant to paediatric respiratory care.
• Supports and participates in multidisciplinary research within the respiratory team.
• Ensures care is based on current research evidence.
• Promotes research awareness across the directorate.
• Mentors colleagues in developing research and audit skills.

• Contributes to health improvement activities within the asthma specialism.
• Collaborates with colleagues to address health improvement priorities.
• Participates in public health work including needs assessments, patient/carer involvement and service access issues.

• Contributes to resource management within the service.
• Adapts workload according to service needs.

• Develops, implements and manages continuous audit of the asthma nurse specialist service, focusing on outcomes such as emergency admissions.
• Participates in multidisciplinary service development.
• Develops and updates clinical protocols and procedures.
• Evaluates own practice using evidence‑based methods.
• Interprets and supports implementation of clinical guidelines.

• Develops and delivers teaching programmes for children and families to support asthma self‑management.
• Leads development and delivery of asthma competency‑based training for staff.
• Contributes to training for nurses, doctors, allied health professionals and neighbouring health boards.
• Supports training for students and community‑based professionals (teachers, nursery nurses, school…