Band 7 Heart Failure Clinical Nurse Specialist for Virtual Ward
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Royal Free London as an autonomous heart failure specialist nurse, leading nurse‑led clinics and delivering expert assessment, diagnosis, and optimisation of evidence‑based therapy. As an independent prescriber, you will initiate and titrate guideline‑directed treatments and support safe community‑based management.
A major part of the role involves delivering and enhancing admission‑avoidance pathways and managing patients through the virtual ward, including remote monitoring, timely intervention, and coordination. You will work within a supportive, friendly multidisciplinary team, collaborating with community and primary care services to ensure seamless, integrated care across the heart failure pathway.
There are excellent opportunities for ongoing professional development, including advancing autonomous practice skills and contributing to research, education, and training. You will receive a comprehensive induction supported by senior nurses and follow the BSH competency framework to guide structured development. Leadership development is supported through Trust training programmes.
You will also contribute to service improvement through audit, research, and pathway development, act as a role model, and support junior staff while working flexibly across the heart failure and virtual ward services.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work as an autonomous specialist within Royal Free London, delivering high‑quality cardiology and heart failure care. They will lead outpatient clinics, providing assessment, diagnosis, optimisation of therapy, for patients with newly diagnosed and established heart failure.
As an independent prescriber, they will assess, initiate, and titrate guideline‑directed therapy, including prescribing diuretics and adjusting treatment plans for patients managed in the community and through the virtual ward. They will identify new cases of heart failure, ensure timely diagnostics, and review patients not receiving optimal therapy to improve outcomes.
The role includes specialist management across the heart failure pathway and close liaison with cardiology, acute teams, community services, and primary care to ensure seamless care. A major component is leading admission‑avoidance pathways, supporting remote monitoring, virtual ward‑based diuretic therapy, and timely escalation to prevent deterioration and unnecessary hospital attendance. They will also contribute to virtual ward development, pathway refinement, and digital monitoring processes.
They will participate in MDT meetings, support audit and research, and contribute to service improvement. As a senior team member, they will act as a role model, mentor junior staff, and work flexibly across the heart failure and virtual ward services, including providing cross‑cover for the wider cardiology virtual ward.
Education & professional Qualifications
- Evidence of post registration qualification in Coronary/Cardiac care
- Heart Failure Module
- Physical Examination course
- End of Life/Advanced communication qualification or willing to work towards
Experience
- Minimum 5 years recent cardiology experience with minimum 2 years at band 6 in cardiac environment
- Evidence of teaching and developing others
- Ability to analyse and interpret ECG, Echo and routine blood tests
- Extensive experience of nursing patients living with heart failure.
- Experience of service planning/managing change e.g. provide examples of projects/research undertaken under own initiative
- Experience of running nurse‑led clinics
- Experience of managing own caseload of patients
Royal Free World Class Values
- Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values
Skills and Aptitudes
- Expert specialist skills for the post
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of team
- Understanding of recognised standards & policies related to heart failure.
- Understanding of advanced practice nursing roles
- Understanding of audit and research process.
- Excellent patient assessment skills
- Excellent communication skills and ability to negotiate and influence
- Ability to problem‑solve, prioritise and to work to deadlines
- Ability to develop collaborative working relationships with multi professional teams
- Able to manage stressful situations and challenge decisions to ensure that patient needs are met
- Commitment to ongoing lifelong learning and personal development.
Personal Qualities & Attributes
- Be a positive role model with the ability to demonstrate a credible and professional approach
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to work as a team and form professional relationships with colleagues
- To be flexible and approachable
- Flexibility in shift and working patterns to meet the needs of the service
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
£55,524 to £62,652 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS
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