The Hermitage Clinic is an acute care hospital with 110 inpatient beds, seven operating theatres, a 7 bed ICU, an Emergency Department, many outpatient services, and a wide range of modern technically complex medical diagnostic and treatment facilities, providing high quality patient care. As a part of the Blackrock Health Group, the Hermitage Clinic offers a range of services in areas such as cardiology, oncology, and urology.

Working with Blackrock Health is a unique opportunity. We offer the chance to work at some of Ireland's most advanced hospitals while still enjoying a sustainable work-life balance. We ensure all our people have the support they need to progress their career, and we offer a package of unmatched benefits across our three hospitals and diagnostic clinic.

Blackrock Health Hermitage Clinic is a private hospital providing a full range of medical and surgical care across a broad spectrum of specialities. Each Ward provides a range of services and this role is important in making a significant contribution, developing and maintaining best practice in nursing services at clinical areas.

Job Title: Acute Medicine Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

Job Function: Nursing

Location: Hermitage Clinic, Blackrock Health

Job Purpose

As a key member of the Nursing team, the post holder will demonstrate excellent clinical skills, quality patient care initiatives and facilitate effective interpersonal communication with colleagues in the unit(s) and hospital. The role will provide comprehensive nursing care to patients using evidence-based practice and adjusting resources to ensure continuity of care, will act as a role model for excellence in patient care.

The CNS will communicate and collaborate with the medical/nursing staff teams in the delivery of quality continuing care for the patient, including liaison with Consultants, and GP's. The position requires a strategic approach to the development of services and structures, embracing continuous quality improvement and the management of changes necessary to achieve organisational objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Focus

Direct Care

• Undertake comprehensive patient assessment to include physical, psychological, social and spiritual elements of care using current best evidence based practice
• Use the outcomes of patient assessment to develop and implement plans of care/case management   
• Co-ordinate investigations, treatment therapies and patient follow-up
• Communicate with patients, family and /or carer as appropriate, to assess patient's needs and provide relevant support, information, education, advice and counselling as required
• Attend Consultant led clinics to support patients and their families
• Identify health promotion priorities for the patient in line with best evidence. This will include the provision of educational and health promotion material which is comprehensive, easy to understand and meets patients' needs.
• Accept appropriate referrals from MDT colleagues.
• Co-ordinate investigations, treatment therapies and patient follow-up.
• Communicate with patients, family and /or carer as appropriate, to assess patient's needs and provide relevant support, information, education, advice and counselling as required.
• Where appropriate, work collaboratively with MDT colleagues across Primary and Secondary Care to provide a seamless service delivery to the patient, family and/or carer as appropriate.
• Participate in medication reconciliation taking cognisance of poly-pharmacy and support medical and pharmacy staff with medication reviews and medication management.
• Identify and promote specific symptom management strategies as well as the identification of triggers which may cause exacerbation of symptoms. Provide patients with appropriate self-management strategies and escalation pathways.

      Identify health promotion priorities for the patient, family and/or carer and support patient self-care in line with best evidence. This will include the provision of educational and health promotion material which is comprehensive, easy to understand and meets patient's needs.

Clinical Focus

Indirect Care

• Identify and agree appropriate referral pathways for patients requiring review or interventions.
• Formulate discharge plans using a case management approach to patients with complex needs
• Take a proactive role in the formulation and provision of evidence based PPPGs relating to nursing care
• Generate and contribute to the development of clinical standards and guidelines

and support implementation

      Provide an efficient, effective and high quality service, respecting the needs of each patient, family and/or carer.

      Effectively manage time and caseload in order to meet changing and developing service needs.

      Continually monitor the service to ensure it reflects current needs.

      Implement and manage identified changes.

      Ensure that confidentiality in relation to patient records is maintained

      Maintain accurate electronic and contemporaneous records and data on all matters pertaining to the planning, management, delivery and evaluation of care

Audit, Research and Quality

      Establish and maintain a register of patients within the caseload.

      Maintain a record of clinically relevant data aligned to National/ International Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)

      Identify, initiate and conduct nursing and MDT audit and research projects relevant to specialities

      Identify, critically analyse, disseminate and integrate best evidence in nursing practice

      Use the outcomes of audit to improve service provision

      Contribute to service planning and budgetary processes through use of audit data and facilitator knowledge and product purchasing and procurement

      Monitor, assess, utilise and disseminate current relevant research to advise and ensure the provision of informed evidence based practice

      Network with other specialist professional nurses in related professional associations.

      Contribute to the design, development and implementation of education programmes and resources for the patient and family thus empowering them to self-manage.

      Provide mentorship and preceptorship for nursing/midwifery colleagues as appropriate.

      Participate in training programmes for nursing/midwifery, MDT colleagues and key stakeholders as appropriate

      Create exchange of learning opportunities within the MDT in relation to evidence based care delivery.    

      Evaluate audit results and research findings to identify areas for quality improvement in collaboration with nursing management

      Take a lead role in ensuring the service for acute medical patients is in line with best practice guidelines (HIQA/JCI)

Patient / Client Advocate

       Communicate, negotiate and represent patient's family and/or carer values and decisions in relation to their condition in collaboration with MDT colleagues in both Primary and Secondary Care as appropriate.

       Develop and support the concept of advocacy, particularly in relation to patient participation in decision making, thereby enabling informed choice of treatment options.

       Respect and maintain the privacy, dignity and confidentiality of the patient, family and/or carer.

       Establish, maintain and improve procedures for collaboration and cooperation between specialist services

       Proactively challenge any interaction which fails to deliver a quality service to patients.

Consultant

       Provide leadership in clinical practice and act as a resource and role model for nursing practice.

       Generate and contribute to the development of clinical standards and guidelines and support implementation.

       Use specialist knowledge to support and enhance generalist nursing practice.

Essential Criteria

Knowledge/ Experience

• Be registered in the general division of the Register of Nurses maintained by NMBI
• Have at least five years recent relevant post-registration nursing experience (full-time or equivalent hours part-time) in an acute hospital setting and a minimum of two years nursing experience in Acute Medical Nursing.
• Have acquired a level 8 post registration Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) major academic award relevant to the specialist area or be willing to complete within one year of taking up post.

Skills/ Competencies

• Clinical Skills
• Management skills
• Leadership skills
• IT skills
• Quality focus
• Risk Management
• Clinical audit
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Desirable Skills

Knowledge/ Experience

• Nurse/Midwife Medicinal Product Prescribing and Prescribing of Medical Ionising Radiation are not strictly essential, but desirable if relevant to the role and should be considered at this level of nursing/midwifery.
• A health care management qualification desirable at third level/ or level 9   on the National Qualification Authority of Ireland (NQAI.)

Why work at the Hermitage Clinic?

The Hermitage Clinic are passionate about our people and believe in their development and growth. As a member of the Hermitage Clinic team you can benefit from: 

• An Education Support Programme
• Development opportunities
• Opportunities for career progression
• Access to a Pension Scheme
• Subsidised Restaurant
• Free staff car parking
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Life Assurance

This Job Description is intended as a basic guide to the scope and responsibilities of the position and is subject to regular review and amendment. The role holder will be required to be flexible in this position and is expected to facilitate working additional hours on occasion, when requested.

The Hermitage Clinic is an Equal Opportunities Employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality at all levels of the organisation. If you require assistance due to a disability during the recruitment process, please email (email address removed)