Job summary

At The Hospice of St Francis, we're looking for an inspiring and forward-thinking Clinical Nurse Specialist to join our senior clinical team. This is an exciting opportunity to combine advanced clinical practice with leadership, innovation and service development, helping us continually improve the care and experience we provide.

Main duties of the job

• Lead nurse-led care: Deliver advanced specialist palliative care, including complex assessments, clinical decision-making, prescribing, care planning, reviews and discharges.
• Drive clinical excellence: Act as a visible clinical role model, promoting safe, effective and evidence-based practice across the IPU.
• Inspire and develop others: Coach, mentor and support Band 6 senior nurses and wider colleagues, helping them build confidence, develop their skills and reach their potential.
• Champion innovation: Lead practice development, research awareness, clinical audit and quality improvement projects, turning new ideas and evidence into better patient care.
• Improve quality and safety: Support clinical incident investigations, identify trends and risks, share learning and help embed improvements across the service.
• Shape patient pathways: Support complex discharge planning, advance care planning, ReSPECT documentation and liaison with community and external healthcare services.
• Lead specialist services: Take responsibility for the IV iron service, including patient assessment and coordination of treatment.
• Influence and collaborate: Work closely with nursing, medical and multidisciplinary teams, taking the nursing lead at weekly medical boards and ward rounds.

You'll also play an important part in the ongoing development of our services, ensuring patients and those important to them receive the highest standards of individualised care.

About us

The Hospice of St Francis provides free specialist care across West Hertfordshire and South Buckinghamshire. This senior clinical role combines advanced nurse-led palliative care with practice development, innovation, education, quality assurance and service improvement within the Inpatient Unit (IPU). The post holder will work collaboratively with nursing, medical and wider multidisciplinary teams to improve outcomes and experience for patients and those important to them.

Details

Date posted

12 November 2026

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Specialist

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B0249-26-0020

Job locations

The Hospice Of St. Francis

Spring Garden Lane

Berkhamsted

Hertfordshire

HP4 3GW

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provide autonomous, advanced specialist palliative care assessment, clinical decision-making, prescribing, care planning, review and discharge for patients and families with complex needs.

Lead the implementation, delivery and evaluation of nurse-led admissions, reviews, care and discharges, acting as a visible role model for safe nurse-led decision-making.

Work within IPU to monitor and improve standards of physical, psychological, social and spiritual care in line with Hospice policy, CQC requirements and organisational strategy.

Model expert clinical practice and support colleagues through coaching, mentoring, clinical supervision, teaching, reflective practice and competency development.

Lead and support practice development, innovation, audit, research, quality improvement and change-management activity, translating evidence and learning into sustained improvements in care.

Oversee clinical incidents supporting the band 6 team to investigate, identify and share learnings. Identify and highlight any themes and risks, working with Associate Director of IPU and Care at Home to ensure learnings are shared and embedded.

Report into Clinical Incidents meeting to share incidents, themes and learnings.

Support safe medicines management, including reconciliation, discharge medication processes and non-medical prescribing in accordance with NMC, statutory and Hospice requirements.

Take the nursing lead at weekly medical board and ward rounds, ensuring decisions and actions are communicated to relevant teams, encouraging RNs to participate, giving opportunity to gain confidence and learning.

Be an active member of infection prevention group.

Support complex discharge planning, Advance Care Planning, ReSPECT documentation, CHC fundingapplications and effective liaison with community and external services.

Encourage and provide opportunities for team members to increase their understanding of and develop skills within advance care planning, CHC applications and external services involved in a patients treatment or discharge.

Lead the IV iron service, including patient assessment against agreed criteria and coordination of treatment delivery.

Line management of band 6 nurses.

Support with day-to-day running of Respite for Good (R4G) and patients using designated R4G beds.

Participate in the IPU senior management on-call rotas, providing advice and support and attending in person when required in an emergency.

Support with IPU management as required in absence of band 6 nurses.

Work flexibly, including occasional nursing shifts, work outside usual hours and travel between clinical settings when service needs require.

Represent the Hospice, uphold its values and reputation, support income-generation activity and contribute to the strategic ambition to extend the reach of care.

Job description Job responsibilities Provide autonomous, advanced specialist palliative care assessment, clinical decision-making, prescribing, care planning, review and discharge for patients and families with complex needs.Lead the implementation, delivery and evaluation of nurse-led admissions, reviews, care and discharges, acting as a visible role model for safe nurse-led decision-making.Work within IPU to monitor and improve standards of physical, psychological, social and spiritual care in line with Hospice policy, CQC requirements and organisational strategy.Model expert clinical practice and support colleagues through coaching, mentoring, clinical supervision, teaching, reflective practice and competency development.Lead and support practice development, innovation, audit, research, quality improvement and change-management activity, translating evidence and learning into sustained improvements in care.Oversee clinical incidents supporting the band 6 team to investigate, identify and share learnings. Identify and highlight any themes and risks, working with Associate Director of IPU and Care at Home to ensure learnings are shared and embedded.Report into Clinical Incidents meeting to share incidents, themes and learnings.Support safe medicines management, including reconciliation, discharge medication processes and non-medical prescribing in accordance with NMC, statutory and Hospice requirements.Take the nursing lead at weekly medical board and ward rounds, ensuring decisions and actions are communicated to relevant teams, encouraging RNs to participate, giving opportunity to gain confidence and learning.Be an active member of infection prevention group.Support complex discharge planning, Advance Care Planning, ReSPECT documentation, CHC fundingapplications and effective liaison with community and external services.Encourage and provide opportunities for team members to increase their understanding of and develop skills within advance care planning, CHC applications and external services involved in a patients treatment or discharge.Lead the IV iron service, including patient assessment against agreed criteria and coordination of treatment delivery.Line management of band 6 nurses.Support with day-to-day running of Respite for Good (R4G) and patients using designated R4G beds.Participate in the IPU senior management on-call rotas, providing advice and support and attending in person when required in an emergency.Support with IPU management as required in absence of band 6 nurses.Work flexibly, including occasional nursing shifts, work outside usual hours and travel between clinical settings when service needs require.Represent the Hospice, uphold its values and reputation, support income-generation activity and contribute to the strategic ambition to extend the reach of care.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (Level 1) with current NMC registration.
• Degree or equivalent qualification in palliative care, oncology or a relevant clinical field.
• Recognised teaching, assessing or mentorship qualification, or equivalent experience.
• Approved non-medical prescribing qualification and NMC registration in this area, or commitment to complete.
• Advanced physical assessment qualification, or commitment to complete.
• At least five years senior-level experience in palliative care, oncology or a closely related setting.
• Advanced knowledge of specialist palliative and end-of-life care, including assessment, symptom management, review, coordination and discharge.
• Recent experience of practice development, clinical audit and service improvement; research experience is desirable.
• Experience of coaching, mentoring, clinical supervision, teaching and competency development.
• Experience of leading or contributing to clinical incident and complaint investigations.
• Knowledge of medicines management, infection prevention and control, health and safety, safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act, best-interest decision-making, DoLS, consent, confidentiality and data protection.
• Experience of working across professional and organisational boundaries and with diverse communities.
• Expert clinical reasoning and the ability to make safe, autonomous decisions in complex and rapidly changing situations.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication, including the ability to convey sensitive information and influence others.
• Strong leadership, facilitation, coaching and change-management skills.
• Ability to analyse data, identify trends, assess risk, prepare reports and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Highly organised, accurate and able to prioritise competing demands, meet deadlines and respond effectively to interruptions.
• Confident use of Microsoft Office and electronic patient-record systems.
• Compassionate, inclusive and person-centred approach, with awareness of unconscious bias and barriers to access.
• Emotional resilience, self-motivation and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential Registered Nurse (Level 1) with current NMC registration. Degree or equivalent qualification in palliative care, oncology or a relevant clinical field. Recognised teaching, assessing or mentorship qualification, or equivalent experience. Approved non-medical prescribing qualification and NMC registration in this area, or commitment to complete. Advanced physical assessment qualification, or commitment to complete. At least five years senior-level experience in palliative care, oncology or a closely related setting. Advanced knowledge of specialist palliative and end-of-life care, including assessment, symptom management, review, coordination and discharge. Recent experience of practice development, clinical audit and service improvement; research experience is desirable. Experience of coaching, mentoring, clinical supervision, teaching and competency development. Experience of leading or contributing to clinical incident and complaint investigations. Knowledge of medicines management, infection prevention and control, health and safety, safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act, best-interest decision-making, DoLS, consent, confidentiality and data protection. Experience of working across professional and organisational boundaries and with diverse communities. Expert clinical reasoning and the ability to make safe, autonomous decisions in complex and rapidly changing situations. Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication, including the ability to convey sensitive information and influence others. Strong leadership, facilitation, coaching and change-management skills. Ability to analyse data, identify trends, assess risk, prepare reports and make evidence-based recommendations. Highly organised, accurate and able to prioritise competing demands, meet deadlines and respond effectively to interruptions. Confident use of Microsoft Office and electronic patient-record systems. Compassionate, inclusive and person-centred approach, with awareness of unconscious bias and barriers to access. Emotional resilience, self-motivation and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

The Hospice of St Francis

Address

The Hospice Of St. Francis

Spring Garden Lane

Berkhamsted

Hertfordshire

HP4 3GW

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.stfrancis.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

The Hospice of St Francis

Address

The Hospice Of St. Francis

Spring Garden Lane

Berkhamsted

Hertfordshire

HP4 3GW

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.stfrancis.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)