Palliative care clinical nurse specialist
Thank you for your interest in this vacancy. We highly recommend reading our Tips on how to apply page to give you an insight on how applications are scored & shortlisted by our Recruiting Managers. These tips have been provided to give you a better chance of being shortlisted for our vacancies.
North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) are working towards merging as one organisation from July 2026.
This will create an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.
Should you join NBT as an employee prior to our organisations merging, your employment will be automatically transferred across to UHBW. Should your employment begin after our two Trusts merge, you will be employed directly by UHBW and therefore UHBW terms and conditions of service will apply
Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role, please do apply as soon as you can.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations.Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.
Job overview
A part time, fixed term clinical nurse specialist vacancy has arisen within the specialist palliative care team at North Bristol NHS Trust.
The Palliative Care Team is a hospital based multi-disciplinary team who receive approximately 2,150 patient referrals per year from all specialities within the Trust
The role involves:
- facilitating the highest possible quality of care to palliative care patients and their families.
- providing specialist symptom control advice and support to patients, their relatives and carers and to professional colleagues in an acute hospital setting.
- facilitating rapid or complex discharges enabling where possible preferred place of care at end of life.
- support health care professionals who are involved in caring for palliative care patients in both hospital and community settings through role and education.
- acting as an independent practitioner with a defined clinical caseload.
Main duties of the job
The Palliative Care Team is a hospital based multi-disciplinary team who receive approximately 2,150 patient referrals per year from all specialities within the Trust
This role involves:
- facilitating the highest possible quality of care to palliative care patients and their families.
- providing specialist symptom control advice and support to patients, their relatives and carers and to professional colleagues in an acute hospital setting.
- facilitating rapid or complex discharges enabling where possible preferred place of care at end of life.
- support health care professionals who are involved in caring for palliative care patients in both hospital and community settings through role and education.
- acting as an independent practitioner with a defined clinical caseload.
Working for our organisation
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities.Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Responsibilities for patient care- To provide specialist advice to nursing, medical and paramedical staff within the provider unit regarding all aspects of evidence based palliative care and cancer related issues
- To offer support, advice and information to patients, their families and carers on all aspects of palliative care
- To regularly review the effectiveness of treatment plans and suggest changes as a result of new information or changes in a patients condition
- To act as a patients advocate where necessary
- To independently manage a caseload of patients, assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating individual care needs in a manner that maintains and promotes quality
- To respect patients dignity, wishes and beliefs involving them in shared decision-making
- To liaise and establish good working relationships with health care professionals and other disciplines involved in the patient’s care
- To recognise and advise on changes in a patient’s condition that may affect care planning, discharge and treatment
- To achieve effective changes in practice to ensure a palliative care approach using diplomatic interaction and negotiation skills with all grades of staff.
- To contribute to effective discharge planning in order to ensure continuity of care between hospital and community
- To ensure resources are used effectively and liaise with relevant health and social care agencies when deficiencies in patient care arise
- To contribute to multidisciplinary meetings
- To refer patients to other specialist agencies as necessary
Responsibilities for policy, service development and implementation:
- To keep professionally updated on research evidenced based care delivery
- To continually reflect on practice to improve patient outcomes
- To actively promote equality and diversity
- To recognise and understand financial budgets when recommending on specialist palliative care equipment and drugs
- To works in conjunction with budget holders to ensure cost effective approach to symptom management and equipment use
- To contribute to the development, dissemination and implementation of guidelines and protocols on palliative care issues
- To contribute to clinical governance initiatives
- To propose changes to working practices within own and other specialist areas to improve patient outcomes
- To regularly lead/contribute in clinical audit initiatives and research, which influence practice development
- To disseminate clinical audit outcomes to improve professional practice and/or patient care
- Responsibilities for information resources and systems
- To maintain accurate and contemporaneous records and data, protecting confidential information in compliance with the Data Protection Act and Trust Policy
- To regularly provide specialist training and education on cancer and palliative care to a wide range of multi-professionals, including pre-registration nurses and medical students, medical, nursing and all other allied health care professional teams
- To provide effective clinical placements for pre and post registration nurses and medical students
- To act as a role model for good practice
- To be aware of the well being of all members of the palliative care team and support them appropriately
- To act as an educational resource and adviser to staff, patients and their carers
- To provide clinical supervision/mentorship to other health care professionals
- To evaluate the effectiveness of learning and development informed by learners, others in the team and own reflections and use the evaluation to inform future practice
- To practice within NMC Code of Professional Conduct
- To work within the policies and procedures of the North Bristol NHS Trust
- To keep up to date with current developments in the field of palliative care and other related areas
- To attend mandatory training as defined by the Trust
- To be aware of local infection control policies and procedures
- To ensure working conditions are safe, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act
- To ensure a secure environment is maintained and that breaches of security are brought to the attention of the team leader, and promptly reported and recorded according to Trust policy
- To keep up to date in national, local and Trust development/policy
- To respond to, record and report any adverse events or incidents relating to interventions/ treatments
- To report on accidents/ incidents using RADAR as appropriate
- To engage in appropriate exercises, training and investigations to update and extend knowledge to ensure safe and competent practice
- Recognised teaching qualification (ENB 998 or equivalent)
- Evidence of recent study at degree /M level
- To work autonomously and without direct supervision
- To be accountable for own actions when making clinical decisions regarding patient management
- To carry out key responsibility for management of client caseload regarding provision of specialist palliative care support and advice.
- Advanced interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
- To motivate and empower staff to address palliative care needs in a holistic manner.
- To communicate bad news to patients and families in a sensitive manner and
- To identify and resolve complex physical and psycho-social needs using expert/ evidence based assessment and facilitatory skills.
- To assess palliative care patients needs using a systematic process of reasoning including making of a differential diagnosis.
- To use and disseminate in-depth knowledge of symptom management using drug and non-drug measures.
- To coordinate and negotiate care packages with internal and external health and social care agencies.
- To recognise and respond appropriately to complex bereavement issues.
- IT skills including Microsoft Word, email, Excel and Powerpoint
Person specification
essential
Essential criteria- Specialist palliative care experience
- Experience within an acute hopsital
Education/Training/Qualifications
Essential criteria- RGN
- Relevant Specialist Post Qualifying Degree and/or short courses at M level or M level degree.
- Evidence of recent formal professional development in relevant subjects
- Recognised Teaching Qualification
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Essential criteria- Able to assess symptoms accurately and suggest appropriate pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.
- Able to facilitate rapid or complex discharges to enable where possible patients preferred place of care at end of life
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
- The ability to communicate difficult news to patients and families in a sensitive manner and to support and guide staff in the communicating difficult news.
- Evidence of knowledge in recent research development and knowledge of local and national issues with NHS, supportive, palliative and cancer care.
- Computer literate, able to use databases and other relevant programmes Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, Outlook, CISS, ICE, PACS.
Please note that if you apply for a position with North Bristol NHS Trust, you may be contacted via TRAC or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your TRAC Account and email accounts including junk and spam folders.
If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.
Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.
If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel 0117 414 1151.
North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.
At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.
Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.