Clinical Nurse Specialist (9 month maternity cover)

We are seeking a Clinical Nurse Specialist to join our Palliative Rapid Response Team. You will provide specialist palliative care to people with complex needs and those close to them.

Job Summary:

• 37.5 hours per week, 7.5hr shifts Monday to Friday with occasional shift and weekend cover
• Salary: £47,810 - £54,710 per annum (pro rata)
• Closing date: 30 November 2026
• Interview date: 08 December 2026

Main Duties:

• Provide specialist palliative care to people with complex needs and those close to them
• Manage a small caseload of unstable patients within SWH and be a clinical leader for the service team
• Exercise significant freedom to act, assessing and managing uncertainty across multiple conditions
• Make decisions within broad professional guidelines rather than fixed protocols
• Act as the person colleagues escalate to

Responsibilities:

• Hold and manage a caseload of patients with complex palliative care needs in the Palliative rapid response team (PRT)
• Carry out advanced holistic assessment, using advanced clinical reasoning to interpret complex, uncertain and competing information
• Prescribe as a non-medical prescriber within RGP policy, and support colleagues' safe medicines management
• Provide highly specialist advice on palliative and end of life care to GPs, district nurses, care homes, hospital teams and RGP colleagues
• Deliver hands-on care when it is right for the patient
• Keep and oversee accurate records, and set the documentation standard for the team
• Exercise significant freedom to act within professional guidelines
• Lead the service day to day: allocate and prioritise PRT referrals and visits, oversee the work of the team including bank colleagues, and keep the service safe across the rota
• Line-manage the posts named in the role summary
• Resolve concerns where possible, contribute to formal complaint responses and investigations
• Contribute to service reviews, rota planning and resource management with the BOPM, and deputise clinically when asked

Person Specification:

• Registered Nurse (NMC) with current registration
• Degree in a relevant subject, plus palliative care study aligned to the NHSE Qualification in Specialism Standard, or equivalent experience with an agreed plan to complete
• Non-medical prescribing qualification, or completion within two years, funded by RGP with a named practice assessor
• Experience of supervising, mentoring or line-managing colleagues
• Evidence of leading audit, improvement or change in practice
• Advanced clinical reasoning: assesses and interprets complex, uncertain and competing information and makes defensible decisions under pressure
• Specialist symptom management knowledge across palliative and end of life care
• Teaches effectively in clinical settings, formally and at the bedside
• Plans and prioritises a service day: allocation, escalation and rota cover across a seven-day service
• Confident use of an electronic patient record and Microsoft 365
• Recognises the limits of their own competence and escalates appropriately