Clinical Nurse Specialist Adult Acute Pain Service

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and experienced registered nurse to join the Bristol Adult Acute Pain Management Service. The team delivers a 5-day service from 8am to 5pm on weekdays, offering advice on all aspects of acute pain and complex needs across the Trust.

You will be an integral part of our small, well established and supportive multidisciplinary team. Working in a fast paced inpatient setting, you will practice independently, provide specialist advice, education and support to staff, patients, their families and carers. There is a strong emphasis on regular patient contact and direct clinical care to ensure safety and efficacy of pain management techniques.

By working cohesively with all members of the multidisciplinary team and promoting effective liaisons, you will ensure the very best services to patients are provided at all times.

The role is crucial in raising awareness and promoting a wider understanding of pain and pain management strategies, requiring you to be actively involved in staff and patient education.

This is a real chance to develop professionally and to explore a specialist field within the nursing profession that is interesting, rewarding and inspiring. If you are interested in this opportunity, we would encourage you to arrange an informal visit. 

Main duties of the job

• To independently manage a caseload of patients, assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating individual care needs in a manner that maintains and promotes quality and patient safety.
• To provide patients and their relatives/carers, nursing and medical staff with specialist advice and support to manage acute pain and complex symptoms in an acute hospital setting.
• To ensure safety and efficacy of pain management techniques by regular patient contact and direct clinical care.
• To regularly review the effectiveness of treatment plans and suggest changes as a result of new information or changes in a patient’s condition.
• Give written and verbal advice, teaching patients and their relatives/carers.
• To contribute to safe and effective discharge planning.
• To work cohesively with all members of the multidisciplinary team and promote effective liaisons ensuring that the very best services to patients are provided at all times.
• To act as a patients advocate (where necessary).
• In liaison with others, enable the development of staff caring for patients through support, formal/informal education and role modelling.

Person specification

Aptitudes

Essential criteria

• Attention to detail
• Self-motivation
• Conscientious and reliable
• Resilience

Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria

• Ability to work effectively as member of the team as well as practicing autonomously
• Effective decision making skills
• Ability to problem solve
• Capability and motivation to undertake continuing high level self-directed learning
• Excellent and effective communication skills –verbally and written
• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills
• Strong presentation skills and techniques
• Ability to effectively organise and prioritise own and team workload
• Ability to work effectively under pressure in an often stressful environment
• Ability to cope with emotional issues presented in the course of work and to support others
• Act as a role model and as a mentor/assessor
• Flexibility and adaptability to meet the needs of a changing service
• Competent information technology skills, i.e. Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Word
• Innovative and participates with practice and policy change
• Commitment to the development and provision of high quality nursing care
• Awareness of professional responsibilities to self and others

Desirable criteria

• Competent in complex analgesic techniques for acute pain management
• Knowledge of national and local specialty specific issues

Qualification and Training

Essential criteria

• Valid NMC registration
• Adult Nursing Degree qualification

Desirable criteria

• Independent non-medical prescribing qualification or commitment to work towards completion of such
• Post registration qualification in pain management at Degree/Masters level
• Relevant accredited post-registration study at Degree/Masters level
• Willingness to work towards Master’s degree qualification
• Recognised qualification in Teaching and Assessing

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant post registration nursing experience in acute setting
• Significant clinical experience in management of acute pain
• Uses current research to underpin clinical practice
• Recent teaching experience -both formal and informal

Desirable criteria

• Appropriate proven leadership and management experience
• Experience of undertaking research or audit projects
• Public Sector Language Competency

Essential criteria

• Be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard