Tissue Viability Specialist Nurse

Provide clinical and operational leadership for the Tissue Viability Service, delivering specialist expertise to improve skin integrity, wound care outcomes and patient safety across Norfolk Adults, care homes and the wider integrated health and care system.

The post holder will lead and develop a high-quality, evidence-based and cost-effective service, acting as a clinical role model and supporting multidisciplinary teams through specialist assessment, intervention, education, clinical supervision and professional advice. They will provide advanced clinical support where patient complexity, risk or deterioration exceeds the capabilities of frontline teams, ensuring timely access to specialist tissue viability expertise.

The role is responsible for driving service improvement, quality assurance, governance, workforce development and innovation, while ensuring practice aligns with national guidance, legislation and recognised best practice standards. Working in partnership with patients, carers, colleagues and system partners, the post holder will lead and support the implementation of the six priority domains of Clinical Practice and Interventions, Prevention and Early Intervention, Surveillance and Monitoring, Workforce Development, Equipment and Technology, and Governance and Assurance to improve outcomes and reduce avoidable skin damage and wound-related harm.

The post holder will provide strategic, clinical and operational leadership for the Tissue Viability Service, exercising a high degree of professional autonomy to deliver expert assessment, advice and management of patients with compromised skin integrity. They will lead and manage the Tissue Viability Team, ensuring high standards of clinical practice, governance, workforce development, performance management and service delivery across community and inpatient settings.

Responsibilities include providing specialist clinical expertise and supervision, leading multidisciplinary decision-making for complex cases, overseeing service improvement, quality assurance, risk management, audit, research and education programmes, and ensuring equitable access to tissue viability services. The role will support the development and implementation of evidence-based policies, prevention strategies and integrated care pathways, while maintaining effective partnerships with patients, carers, multidisciplinary teams and system partners to improve patient outcomes, service quality and skin integrity care across the wider Integrated Care System.

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Exercise a high level of professional autonomy, providing specialist clinical leadership, decision-making, advice and support relating to tissue viability, wound management and skin integrity for patients, carers and healthcare professionals.

Lead, develop and maintain the effectiveness, performance and clinical culture of the Tissue Viability Service, including line management, workforce planning, supervision, appraisal, competency assessment and staff development.

Deliver specialist assessment, care planning and intervention for patients with complex skin integrity needs, ensuring care is evidence-based, patient-centred and focused on achieving agreed outcomes.

Establish, monitor and review referral pathways, response standards and service access criteria to ensure equitable, timely and effective provision of specialist tissue viability services.

Participate in the Tissue Viability rota, providing specialist clinical cover, including weekends and designated bank holidays, to ensure continuity of service delivery.

Provide expert clinical advice, education, mentorship and supervision to community, inpatient, health and social care teams, supporting the delivery of high-quality wound management and skin integrity care.

Lead multidisciplinary discussions and meetings for highly complex cases, facilitating collaborative decision-making, challenge, escalation and effective care coordination.

Communicate highly complex, sensitive and potentially contentious information with professionalism, compassion and empathy, adapting communication methods to meet individual needs and overcome barriers to understanding.

Ensure accurate, timely and comprehensive documentation, electronic record keeping and professional communication in accordance with organisational and professional standards.

Manage service resources effectively, including waiting lists, workforce capacity, budgets, equipment procurement and risk management, ensuring efficient and cost-effective service delivery.

Monitor, assess and manage clinical and non-clinical risks in accordance with Trust policies and governance requirements.

Promote patient and carer involvement in service delivery and development, ensuring feedback, concerns and complaints are managed appropriately and acted upon.

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with patients, carers, multidisciplinary teams, partner organisations and system stakeholders to support integrated care and positive patient outcomes.

Support the strategic development of tissue viability services through service improvement, innovation, implementation of best practice, and alignment with organisational, Integrated Care System (ICS) and long-term condition priorities.

Review and interpret national guidance, legislation, evidence and best practice standards, supporting local implementation and continuous improvement.

Lead and contribute to audits, research, quality improvement initiatives, data analysis, service evaluation and reporting requirements to demonstrate service effectiveness and improve outcomes.

Utilise Trust information systems and digital technologies to support clinical practice, performance monitoring, audit, governance and resource management.

Lead and promote clinical governance, assurance and quality improvement activities, ensuring compliance with Trust, professional and national standards.

Oversee prevention and early intervention programmes aimed at reducing pressure ulcers, wound deterioration, avoidable skin damage and associated harm.

Develop, implement and review clinical policies, procedures, patient information resources and service standards to support safe and effective practice.

Regularly review complex cases, incidents, risks and performance data to identify trends, implement improvements and escalate concerns where required.

Attend and participate in clinical and management supervision and maintain professional competence through reflection, continuing professional development and adherence to professional standards.