Rapid Response - Clinical Nurse Specialist
Business Area:
Care Coordination Centre
Reports to:
Head of Care Co-ordination Centre
Organisation and Team Information
The Rapid Response Team provides holistic, skilled, high-quality, patient-centred care working with community services to support patients in their usual place of residence, including private homes and care homes. The core hours are 9-5 Monday to Friday. The post holder will be part of a community rota to support an 8-8 service through weekend and late shifts.
Role Purpose
The Rapid Response Nurse will provide specialist palliative care interventions for patients experiencing urgent or complex needs in the community. The role focuses on rapid assessment, crisis intervention, and symptom management to stabilise patients, prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, and support patients to remain or die in their preferred place of care.
The post holder will work autonomously, often lone working, acting as a key specialist resource to patients, carers, and healthcare professionals.
Key Responsibilities
General
Care provision
- Respond promptly to urgent referrals, undertaking comprehensive holistic assessments of patients presenting with complex or deteriorating conditions.
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Deliver timely symptom control and crisis management interventions to stabilise patients in the community
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Develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based care plans, prioritising patients according to clinical urgency
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Support patients to remain at home where appropriate and facilitate preferred place of care and death
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Provide specialist advice and guidance to generalist clinicians including district nurses, GPs, and care home staff
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Ensure clear, compassionate communication with patients, families, and carers, especially during distressing or end-of-life situation
Clinical Leadership, Supervision and Education
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Provide clinical leadership during rapid response interventions
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Support and supervise junior staff, including Health Care Assistants, Nursing Associates, Assistant Practitioners and Associate CNSs
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Contribute to staff induction, mentorship, and student placements
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Deliver informal and formal teaching to multidisciplinary colleagues to enhance palliative care knowledge and skills
Patient records and Communication
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Maintain accurate and timely electronic patient records in line with NMC and hospice standards
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Develop and update urgent care plans, ensuring information is effectively shared across services
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Provide clear handovers and communicate changes in condition to relevant professionals
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Advocate for patients and carers, ensuring their preferences and needs are clearly represented
Risk management and continuous improvement
- Identify, assess and respond to clinical risks, safeguarding concerns, and unsafe situations
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Undertake risk assessments and implement immediate actions to ensure patient and staff safety
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Contribute to audit, service evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives
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Actively support the development of rapid response pathways and service improvements
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Make autonomous clinical decisions at a specialist level in urgent situations
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Recommend and implement changes to patient care plans, based on clinical judgement and best evidence
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Justify decision-making in line with clinical governance frameworks and hospice policies
Key working relationships
- Daily collaboration with Community Palliative Care Team, First Contact team and IPU staff
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Close working with patients, carers, GPs, district nurses, care home staff, and hospital teams
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Engagement with wider hospice services including Family Support, Wellbeing, and Outpatient teams
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Occasional liaison with internal departments such as HR and Finance
Infection Control
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Maintain the highest standards of infection prevention and control
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Adhere to North London Hospice infection control policies and procedures
Safeguarding
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Act in accordance with safeguarding policies and procedures
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Identify and escalate safeguarding concerns appropriately
Health and Safety
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Take responsibility for personal safety and the safety of others
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Comply with all health, safety, and security policies
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Promote safe working practices, particularly in lone working situations
Confidentiality
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Maintain patient, personal and organisational confidentiality at all times. This includes patient medical and financial information; employee records; student records; financial and operating data of North London Hospice and any other information that is of a private or sensitive nature
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Familiarise with, and adhere to, the relevant confidentiality policies within North London Hospice
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
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NMC Registration RN / RGN Level 1 – essential
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Degree in relevant health related topic – essential
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Independent Nurse Prescribing or willing to work towards - essential
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Master level of study in health-related topic or willingness to work toward - desirable
North London Hospice is a registered charity that has been caring for local people since 1984. We help those with a potentially life-limiting illness who have specialist needs.
As a registered charity, North London Hospice provides free Specialist Palliative Care Services. We receive some government funding, relying on donations and legacies to meet the cost of providing our exceptional care and support. In 2024/25 it cost over £16 million to run the hospice.
