UHN Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse Specialist

Job overview

The Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse Specialist provides expert nursing care, advice, and support to children and young people with epilepsy and their families. Working as part of the multidisciplinary team, the post holder coordinates care, delivers education on epilepsy management, supports medication monitoring, and acts as a key point of contact for patients, families, schools, and healthcare professionals. The role focuses on improving patient outcomes, promoting self-management, and ensuring high-quality, family-centred care

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The Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse Specialist works closely with the Lead Paediatrician to provide a high-quality, specialist epilepsy service for children, young people and their families, in line with national guidance, including NICE Quality Standards and the Epilepsy Best Practice Tariff. The post holder delivers expert nursing assessment, advice, education and support to children and young people with epilepsy, promoting effective management of their condition and associated co-morbidities. The role includes attending and running nurse-led clinics alongside paediatric epilepsy outpatient clinics and providing care across inpatient, outpatient and community settings. Acting as a key point of contact for families and professionals, the nurse specialist ensures coordinated, patient-centred care and supports children and their carers to manage epilepsy safely and confidently.

Working for our organisation

Please submit your application as soon as possible, as we reserve the right to close adverts once sufficient applications have been received.

We recognise that AI tools can support application writing; however, candidates are asked to keep their use to a minimum. Responses should reflect your own experience, skills and knowledge, as over-reliance on AI-generated content may result in generic answers that do not accurately represent your abilities.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) brings together Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. As a group, we are committed to improving services for our communities through collaboration, modernising care delivery and striving for excellence. Working together enables us to share expertise, strengthen services and create greater opportunities, and there may be a requirement to work across sites depending on service needs.

Our Excellence Values are Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity and Courage. UHN welcomes applications from all backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive working environment. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and hold the Gold Award under the Employer Recognition Scheme. Candidates who identify as members of the Armed Forces community and meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Corporate Responsibilities

• Promote and support the operational and strategic objectives of the service, department, division, and Trust.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of high-quality epilepsy services in line with Trust priorities.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Participate in joint consultant-led and nurse-led epilepsy clinics.
• Provide specialist assessment, advice, education, and support to children and young people with epilepsy and their families.
• Offer telephone and face-to-face advice regarding seizure management, treatment, and ongoing care.
• Liaise effectively with primary, secondary, and tertiary care providers to ensure seamless care.
• Promote best practice in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of paediatric epilepsy.
• Maintain specialist knowledge through attendance at relevant training, educational events, and regional networks.

Patient Care Responsibilities

• Act as a key point of contact for children, young people, families, carers, and other professionals regarding epilepsy-related care.
• Promote equality, diversity, and the rights of the child in all aspects of care delivery.
• Support continuity of care through liaison with schools, community services, and other agencies, including home and school visits where appropriate.
• Advocate for children and young people to ensure access to high-quality epilepsy services.
• Coordinate and support transition planning to adult services.
• Maintain clinical competence and contribute to specialist nursing services as required.

Communication and Leadership Responsibilities

• Communicate complex, sensitive, or distressing information effectively and compassionately to children, young people, and families.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and external agencies to support children with complex epilepsy.
• Provide education and training to healthcare professionals, schools, families, and carers.
• Contribute to the professional development of self and colleagues.

Resource and Service Management

• Ensure effective and efficient use of equipment and consumables.
• Support initiatives aimed at reducing avoidable hospital admissions and improving patient outcomes.

Professional Responsibilities

• Practice in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code and professional standards.
• Prepare and present quarterly service reports for governance meetings.
• Represent the service at relevant meetings, networks, and working groups, sharing learning and outcomes within the organisation.

Quality, Audit and Governance

• Participate in local and national audits, research, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Promote and maintain high standards of health, safety, and clinical governance.
• Manage incidents, complaints, and adverse events in accordance with Trust policies.

Policy and Service Development

• Lead the development, review, and implementation of epilepsy-related policies, guidelines, and pathways.
• Ensure practice reflects current evidence, national guidance, and best practice standards.
• Contribute to service improvement and innovation to enhance patient experience and outcomes.

General Responsibilities

• Support and uphold professional nursing standards in line with the NMC Code.
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role, grade, and service requirements.

Important Information

Applications will be transferred to TRAC system, by completing an application your are giving authorisation for the transfer of your data.

Correspondence regarding your application will be sent to you via a TRAC system account.

We are an equal opportunities employer, which aims to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.

We welcome applications from members of our black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, especially in relation to senior posts within at KGH.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible.

Appointments will be made on merit.

In submitting an application form, you authorise Kettering General Hospital (KGH) NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process. Including factual reference, occupational health clearance and statutory and mandatory training record.

If you need to have a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check, as a requirement of the role, you will be required to repay the cost of obtaining a DBS check (£49.50) and this amount will be reclaimed from your first salary. From 1st February 2019 all new starters to the Trust are required to join the DBS update service as per Trust DBS Re-checking Policy which has an annual cost of £16. New employees who do not join the update service will be required to pay £49.50 for a new DBS check in 3 years time.

Please note that news starters with KGH are subject to a six month probationary period.

Please ensure that the information you provide on your application form is correct, accurate and that nothing has been omitted. Any information that is stated in your application form in relation to qualifications/training courses/work/education experience/references must be able to be evidenced. Failure to do so may result if your offer being withdrawn.

"Safeguarding is everyone's business. KGH considers Safeguarding a priority amongst its citizen's and a key value for all employed to the service."

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone’s full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.