Clinical Nurse Specialist, Band 6- Pain Management

at  Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and dynamic nurse to join our multidisciplinary Pain Service. We provide outpatient services across Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. The post holder will work with the wider multidisciplinary team to help deliver an expert outpatient specialist service, encompassing an over-arching psychological model, for people living with persistent pain. As a nursing expert the post holder will demonstrate a high level of expertise within the pain management service, providing advice, education and support to patients, their families and other healthcare professionals.
The successful applicant will have relevant post-qualification clinical experience and will be able to demonstrate an interest and aptitude for pain management. They will also have a genuine interest in the delivery of interventions to facilitate behaviour change, e.g. Health Coaching, CBT, Mindfulness, ACT and Motivational Interviewing.
They must be an excellent communicator, organised and compassionate.
We are a small, multidisciplinary team consisting of Psychologists, Physiotherapists and Nurses supported by 9 Pain Consultants at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Wye Valley NHS Trust.
Our team values staff wellbeing as well as offering high quality, evidence based support to our patients.

To assist in providing an outpatient multi-disciplinary, self-management service for patients with persistent/chronic pain in a setting in which traditional nursing skills are re-defined away from the medical model to facilitating self-management with an over-arching psychological model.

• To work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing specialist nursing advice and support.
• To participate in the planning, assessment, implementation and evaluation of a high-quality pain self-management service.
• To manage a caseload of patients with complex persistent pain issues with the support of the wider MDT and Clinical Lead.
• To be supported by the Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in all matters pertinent to nursing within the clinical area.
• To act as a resource for medication related to pain management within current competencies.
• To act independently in the absence of the Lead CNS.
• To provide quality care and maintain high standards in accordance with UK law, the NMC and Trust guidelines.
• To contribute/undertake audit and implement change within the speciality.
• To act as an autonomous practitioner in pain management within the Trust, providing a local link to the wider pain management services.
• To organise own time effectively.
• Assist in the delivery of specialised services including refilling of implanted intrathecal pumps, domiciliary management of intrathecal infusions in palliative care patients and running Qutenza clinics.
• To develop skills to work with groups of patients, delivering pain education.
• To develop confidence and communication skills to manage patients with high levels of anxiety and verbally aggressive behaviour, people presenting suicide risk/safeguarding concerns.

The Pain Self-Management Team provide a service for patients across two counties, all staff may be asked to travel between sites to deliver clinics.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council with a right to work in the UK.
• A genuine interest in pain management and ideally some experience of working in the management of chronic conditions.
• A genuine interest in pain management of persistent/chronic pain and the ability to adapt to a setting in which traditional nursing skills are re-defined away from the medical model to facilitating self-management. This is a psychology-led multi-disciplinary service.
• Knowledge of medications used in chronic pain. Skills to advise and support patients through medication reduction plans, liaising with other professionals as appropriate.
• A genuine interest in the delivery of interventions to facilitate behaviour change, e.g. Health Coaching, CBT, Mindfulness, ACT and Motivational Interviewing.
• To be familiar with suicide risk, Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding policies and procedures.
• To liaise with wider members of the MDT and Community Services.
• To have some experience of working autonomously and managing your own caseload of complex pain patients, initially with support but after an induction period you would be expected to manage this in an unsupervised capacity.
• To be involved in discussions with the MDT.
• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records in the pain management notes.
• Awareness of Social Prescribing in the area and how to refer to them.
• An understanding of the importance of change management skills.
• Enhanced IT skills, including presentation skills, using PowerPoint and other media.
• Enhanced levels of dexterity and accuracy pertaining to clinical skills, such as preparation and administration of drugs via the intrathecal route.
• Have a genuine interest in teaching all grades of nursing, medical and AHP staff.
• Contribute to developing and writing policies, protocols, guidelines and documentation.
• Contribute to local audits, ongoing evaluation of the service, keeping up to date with local and national research relevant to the area of practice and implementing change where appropriate.
• Ensure personal and professional development is progressed through Individual Performance Development Review (IPDR), attending training to maintain and develop skills and keep mandatory training up to date.

Please refer the Job description for details