Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To have a thorough understanding of immunosuppressive and biological therapies used within dermatology disease management.

To provide biologic and systemic therapy monitoring by undertaking clinical assessments of disease activity in psoriasis patients, including PASI, EASI, UAS, DLQI and PEST scoring, ensuring timely recording in patient care records and ensuring ongoing monitoring or patients eligibility criteria is met.

To respond to queries from patients in regard to biologic and systemic therapies, including delivery of repeat injections and issues relating to efficacy and safety, such as interruptions of treatment at times of inter current illness or prior to planned surgery

To provide holistic care to all patients, assessing the wider implications of their disease and therapies and supporting patients accordingly.

To recruit, input and monitor patients onto BADBIR where eligible criteria are met.

Be competent in assessing patients pre biologic therapy. To co-ordinate and undertake screening tests for co-morbidities (such as tuberculosis) and interpret and act on results, in liaison with clinical colleagues.

Advise on disease and symptom management for patients within the speciality, in an outpatient setting. Evaluate response to interventions and cascade to relevant colleagues

Support patients to self-manage their condition where deemed appropriate. Provide education for those who will need guided support to self-manage and those who will need ongoing face to face support. Be responsible for educating and teaching patients to safely self-administer injection therapies when necessary.

Identify and use educational strategies to deliver information to patients and carers. Participate in the development of patient focused education including training to support self-management and health promotion activities.

Assist in supporting the delivery of formal and informal teaching initiatives as part of the Trusts education strategy as agreed with the appropriate Lead nurse to ensure practice development, staff empowerment and improved care for patients.

Act as a mentor/clinical supervisor as appropriate.

Measurable Result areas:

Maintain patient records and ensure an effective documentation system to reflect the activity and delivery of specialist nursing care.

To work as an integral member of the dermatology multidisciplinary team to develop the service and provide effective co-ordinated care for patients.

Ensure a smooth transition through the systemic therapies to biologics (according to NICE guidelines).

To communicate regularly with the high cost drug pharmacist to ensure that cost effective prescribing practices and being adhered to and proactively sought.

To be responsible for research, in particular BADBIR, and when new therapies for skin disease become available

To recruit, input and monitor patients onto BADBIR where eligible criteria is met.

To maintain a robust and comprehensive database of patients on systemic and biologic therapies

To undertake regular patient and service audits.

Assist in managing risk by ensuring compliance with NICE guidelines.

Assist in the development and delivery of nurse led or parallel clinics in line with National Guidance and local service need.

Contribute to the delivery of evidence-based personalised and compassionate care which places quality at the heart of specialist practice. Care will responsive to individual needs and reflect current local protocols and national guidelines.

Act as an accessible professional for the team supporting and contributing to the management of a clinical caseload. Although clinics will be run alongside Consultants, this role will necessitate a degree of autonomy and advocacy to ensure the delivery of appropriate care.

Use knowledge of the speciality and treatment to support the development of personalised care pathways for individuals receiving biologic and systemic therapies and assist with holistic needs assessment, planning and evaluation of care and all care interventions.

To keep up to date with newly licensed therapies through continuing professional development, including research. Undertake clinical competencies relevant to this specialist service and demonstrate expertise through NMC revalidation and at yearly appraisal.

To oversee recording of patients initiated onto high cost record blue teq. Review process yearly and attend high cost drug meetings if requested.

Contribute to the development of clinical guidelines to support the specialist service.

Participate in clinical research relevant to practice area.

Take personal responsibility for life-long learning and personal development through clinical supervision and appraisal. Actively engage in accredited learning and development opportunities needed to work within specialist area and take appropriate action to ensure these needs are met.

Identify and use educational strategies to deliver information to patients and carers. Participate in the development of patient focused education including training to support self-management and health promotion activities.

Assist in supporting the delivery of formal and informal teaching initiatives as part of the Trusts education strategy as agreed with the appropriate Lead nurse to ensure practice development, staff empowerment and improved care for patients.

Act as a mentor/clinical supervisor as appropriate.

Assist in supporting the delivery of formal and informal teaching initiatives as part of the Trusts education strategy as agreed with the appropriate Lead nurse to ensure practice development, staff empowerment and improved care for patients.

Act as a mentor/clinical supervisor as appropriate.

Assist in the development of links and system to seek the views of patients and carers to ensure service development is in line with user need.

Communications and Working Relationships:

Act as a patient advocate to facilitate the process of shared decision making in respect to health, choice of treatment and care. Use interpersonal and communication skills where there may be significant barriers in order to build confidence. Ensure that patients individual needs are expressed and valued and individual care plans are understood.

Contribute to the identification of patients eligible for trial entry. Provide support to patients considering entry to clinical trials in relation to informed consent and advocacy.

Ensure a smooth transition through the systemic therapies to biologics (according to NICE guidelines).

Assist in the development of links and system to seek the views of patients and carers to ensure service development is in line with user need

Act as a role model demonstrating high standards of holistic care and provide clinical leadership to other junior staff across the organisation.

Act as a resource providing dermatology advice and support across the service boundaries to ensure optimum liaison and co-ordination of care.

Provide support to ensure public and patient involvement is embedded within the sphere of practice.

Assist in setting measurable outcomes for the service and continuous evaluation of practice supporting changes where necessary.

Contribute to the clinical governance agenda and participate in support service improvement activities.

Represent the Trust by contributing to and participating in meetings locally, regional and nationally relating to the speciality.

Contribute to an annual service review, gathering information to support the annual report.

Take personal responsibility for ensuring effective communication between all service providers.

Demonstrate empathetic interpersonal and communication skills in supporting, informing and advising patients where applicable. Effectively and sensitively communicate information to patients and family/carers at key points along the care pathway on a frequent basis.

Refer to other health professionals and outside agencies to ensure optimum care and ongoing support for individual patients/carers, and to ensure the seamless transition from primary to secondary care appropriate to patients individual needs and circumstance.

Maintain links with local and national organisations, which support the care of patients within specialty.