Zest Registered Nurse

Job summary

Do you have a passion to make a difference to the lives of young people and their families and have experience of working with Learning Disabilities/complex needs?

St Elizabeth Hospice is an independent charity and hospice, which improves life for people in the East Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Waveney areas living with a progressive or life-limiting illness. Rated Outstanding from the Care Quality Commission, our work is centred on an individual's needs, which means specialist support, whenever and wherever it is needed, whether at home, in the community or at the hospice. We are well respected and praised for our responsiveness and expertise by people we serve.

Established in 1989, the hospice has built a reputation for delivering high-level care to patients and the community it serves. Through medicine and therapy, they ease pain; give life purpose and make life liveable. Last year the charity supported over 4,000 patients and their families.

Interview Date:20th October 2026

Hours: 15 hours per week, with large proportion at weekends

Main duties of the job

This is a fantastic opportunity to join St Elizabeth Hospice, your local hospice at the heart of the community, and to be be part of the Zest Young Adult service during an exciting period of expansion. We are looking to increase the support we offer to young people living with progressive illness and complex health care needs through extending our respite services and are looking for enthusiastic Registered Nurses to do this with us.

You will have a willingness to support young adults to plan their weekend short breaks, maximising opportunities to increase independence, try new experiences, have fun and socialise with others. This may include inclusive activities at the hospice and outings into the community.

Whilst enabling the young adults to enjoy a fun and comfortable stay you will be required to:

assume the role of shift coordinator, leading the short break care of up to three young adults staying for the weekend at the hospice, ensuring their health and care needs are met, recognising and responding to changes, supervising care assistants and delegating tasks appropriately.

support young adults during their short break stay to achieve their goals and plan weekend activities.

Be able to understand and recognise individual developmental needs, where appropriate encouraging and enabling independence and self-management skills.

Training will be provided to ensure you are competent and confident to support young adults with complex care needs.

About us

St Elizabeth Hospice is committed to safeguarding and protecting the adults and young people that we work with and has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, neglect and discrimination of any person. As such, all posts are subject to a rigorous safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We have a range of robust safeguarding policies in place which promote safeguarding across the hospice and staff are expected to undertake regular, mandatory safeguarding training to equip them with the knowledge and skills to identify and respond to potential risks.

The hospice offers a generous benefit package, including:

• 27 days annual leave entitlement
• Pension scheme
• Life Cover
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Car Leasing Scheme
• Health Service Discounts
• Occupational Sick Pay
• Blue Light Card
• Employee Assistance Programme

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

To provide holistic, person-centred care and support to young adults living with progressive illness and complex health care needs needs and their families accessing Zest services including short break weekends, Zest days and groups. To supervise the care team delivering complex care, assuming the role of shift coordinator as required. To support young adults during their short break stay to achieve their goals and plan weekend activities. This may include planning and enabling outings into the community. To be able to understand and recognise individual developmental needs, encouraging and enabling independence and self-management skills where appropriate. To work within the St Elizabeth Hospice One Team nursing care model, with the flexibility to be allocated to work in other clinical areas in response to needs of the service.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Demonstrate a commitment to keeping adults and young people safe.
• Report any disclosure made to you to the appropriate person.
• Report any safeguarding concerns in the workplace to the appropriate person.
• Maintain an awareness of the Hospices policies in relation to safeguarding.

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Assessment

• To accurately assess the needs of patients and their families.
• To identify priorities of care.
• To refer on to the appropriate professionals, as necessary.

Planning

• To identify realistic goals of care with patients and their families.
• To deliver a plan of care with patients and their families.
• To record explicit care plans which act as effective tools for other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• To organise own time and equipment to deliver a high standard of nursing care.
• To liaise effectively with all members of the Hospice multi-disciplinary and community teams.

Implementation

• To give skilled/specialist care to patients and their families.
• To administer all drugs and treatments within Hospice and NMC guidelines.
• To communicate effectively with patients, families and other members of the Hospice multi-disciplinary and community teams.
• To follow community emergency care plans in the event of a sudden change or sudden deterioration.

Evaluation

• To ensure the care given is to the agreed standard.
• To measure the effectiveness of the plan of care in achieving identified goals.
• To revise and update care plans in the light of the evaluation.
• To have an understanding of safeguarding principles and be able to apply these within everyday practice and intervention/within your role.

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

• To be familiar with the philosophy and roles of the multi-disciplinary team.
• To provide effective communication to ensure continuity of patient care.
• To work closely with the Zest Lead Care Assistant delegating responsibilities accordingly.
• To supervise and delegate appropriately to the Zest Care Assistants.

To ensure that all risks associated with care delivery relevant to the care setting are managed effectively and that all incidents are reported promptly following the policy and procedure.

To coordinate cover for shifts in the event of staff sickness or absence, following the procedure of short break cancellation the event of being unable to ensure safe staffing levels.

To support young adults completing one page profiles and other person-centred care tools

To actively engage in the co-production of Zest services.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES

To recognise indications of staff stress and to facilitate staff support.

To recognise the value of volunteer contribution and play an active part in their support & development where appropriate.

To support new members of staff during the induction process.

EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To maintain an awareness of research and relevant findings and in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team, work towards this being applied to practice.

To share professional expertise with short break care team colleagues, providing support and training where appropriate.

To support care assistants completing their care competencies.

To undertake training as required.

To participate in the Hospice education programme.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

To maintain and increase personal professional skills.

To undertake practice supervision and engage in 1:1 meetings as appropriate

To demonstrate reflective practice

ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To attend team meetings bi-monthly
• To keep up to date with Hospice communications via email and podcasts
• To work at all times within the policies and guidelines of the Hospice and act within NMC guidelines at all times.
• To uphold the Hospice and individual team values at all times.
• To ensure effective use of resources.
• To respect at all times the confidentiality of information covering patients, staff and
• volunteers.
• To play an active part in the development and maintenance of good relationships with all who have business with the Hospice.
• To promote the Hospice philosophy of care towards patients, relatives and visitors.
• To be willing to support other clinical areas as needed as part of the one team model of nursing care, including the In-patient Unit and Community.

Person specification

Personal Qualities

Essential

• A motivated, flexible and adaptable working ethos.
• Demonstrable experience of team working.
• Be willing and able to develop own knowledge and skills and to contribute to the development of others.
• Flexible.
• Ability to withstand sensitive and potentially stressful situations.

Specific Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication and organisational skills, with the ability to deal with complex matters.
• IT literate, ability to learn and become proficient in IT programmes e.g. Microsoft packages and Staff Care/SystmOne databases.
• Ability to supervise the work of others e.g. Healthcare Assistants.

Desirable

• Full driving license.

Qualifications

Essential

• First Level Registered Nurse with current NMC registration

Desirable

• Palliative care qualification at diploma level or above or equivalent or experience with palliative care patients e.g. District Nurse, Hospice experience, and proven ward management skills

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 1 years post qualification proven experience.
• Ability to assess patient needs that may be complex and subject to change.
• Ability to plan, deliver and evaluate care.
• Have an understanding of safeguarding principles and be able to apply these within everyday practice and intervention/within your role.

Desirable

• Experience in Palliative care / learning disabilities / Community / inpatient setting.
• Experience of working with young adults.
• Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of working using a person-centred care approach.
• Experience of using a co-production approach.