Associate Clinical Nurse Specialist (ACNS) in Palliative Care

Job purpose

This is a new role to our multi-professional palliative care team. The role will involve working with a Band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist to pro-actively manage a community palliative care patient caseload. Working with more senior colleagues, the post holder will develop skills and expertise in holistic palliative care assessment and care, working in a multi-professional team. To support the CNS/CPS team in delivering clinically effective, efficient, and high-quality care to individuals with complex palliative care needs. The role involves working with the MDT to assess, plan, and support the clinical management of a shared caseload of patients and their families, working collaboratively with other healthcare providers to ensure holistic and coordinated care.

Main duties and responsibilities

Clinical Practice Practise as an accountable registered nurse, delivering safe, highquality, personcentred palliative care in line with NMC standards, Trust policies, and service guidelines, with access to senior clinical supervision. With Band 7 supervision undertake holistic palliative care assessment, care planning, and review for patients with complex palliative care needs. Proactively manage an allocated caseload with Band 7 support, including triage and prioritisation of new referrals. Deliver skilled nursing interventions to optimise symptom control, quality of life, and endoflife care. With Band 7 supervision work collaboratively with patients, families, carers, multidisciplinary teams, and partner agencies to support shared decisionmaking, coordinated care, and clear care pathways. Recognise and escalate deterioration, safeguarding concerns, and crises in accordance the team standard operating procedures and with organisational policy. Identify anticipatory, psychosocial, and bereavement needs, facilitating timely support and referral. Maintain accurate clinical records and contribute to audit, activity reporting, and quality improvement. Professional & Team Contribution With Nad 7 support organise and prioritise workload effectively with senior colleagues to meet service demands. Participate in team, multidisciplinary, service, and Trust meetings, contributing to case discussion, service development, and learning. Support learning for students, and visitors, with appropriate guidance. Comply with Health and Safety requirements and report incidents, complaints, and risks appropriately. Engage in supervision, reflective practice, CPD, and service development activities. Education & Development Contribute to internal education and learning activities that support highquality palliative care practice. Maintain and update professional knowledge and skills through mandatory training, CPD, and relevant education, sharing learning with the team. Research, Audit & Governance Participate in research, audit, service evaluation, and clinical governance activities with senior support. Apply evidencebased guidance, research findings, and national policy to clinical practice. Communication Communicate sensitive and complex information effectively with patients, carers, colleagues, and partner agencies. Ensure appropriate information sharing, including provision of correspondence to patients in line with Trust policy. Escalate concerns or complaints promptly to the Team Leader and contribute to presentations or training when required.