Clinical Nurse Specialist

Overview
Post Title:
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) / Candidate Clinical Nurse Specialist – Neuromuscular Diseases (Rare Neurological Disorders)
Post Status:
Permanent
Department
NeuroCent Directorate, Beaumont Hospital
Location:
Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9
Reports to:
Directorate Nurse Manager (DNM), Clinical Nurse Manager III, Speciality Consultant
Salary:
Appointment will be made on CNS /Candidate CNS Pay scale at a point in line with Government pay policy - CNS € 61,463 - € 77,666 or CCNS €56,642 - €66,705
Hours of work:
37.5 hours/week
Closing Date:
Monday 25th August 2025 @ 12 noon
Summary
Neuromuscular Diseases refer to a group of pathophysiological conditions that affect the nerves and muscles which can result in muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, sensation disturbance, and other symptoms.
These diseases result from biological disorders of the peripheral nerves, the muscles themselves or the neuromuscular junction.
The pathophysiological course of these diseases can vary and may be secondary to genetic, autoimmune, metabolic, inflammatory, or physical injury causes.
The disease course may present at any age and may require life-long symptom modifying therapies to support the impact on motor and sensory systems – the psychological, social, and economic effects on the individual and their families cannot be underestimated and it is here where the impact of the Clinical Nurse Specialist role carries the greatest impact.
Clinical Nurse Specialists provide a visible and accessible senior nursing presence through a variety of contexts and maintain effective collaborative relationships with multidisciplinary teams, patients, and families.
Attention to detail, quality improvement, service design, commitment, and leadership are some of the many skills expected of the role.
This is a new post for the Neurosciences Directorate and it is envisaged that the successful applicant will work in conjunction with key stakeholders to provide for and implement a vision for service delivery within this field of practice.
Articulating a well detailed work practice plan, authoring key guidance documents (e.g. polices, guidelines, protocols, and procedures), delivery of teaching to varying levels of learner, supporting speciality clinics, and maintaining a telephone advice line for service users are some of the proposed initial innovations expected of the role within the first 6 months of appointment to the post.
The successful candidate will professionally report to the Directorate Nurse Manager and/or Clinical Nurse Manager III and will clinically report to the specialty consultant for this service.
Responsibilities
Principle Duties and Responsibilities
The post holder's practice is based on the five core concepts of the Clinical Nurse Specialist role as defined by the National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (NCNM 4th edition (2008)) in order to fulfil the role.
The concepts are:
Clinical Focus
Patient/Client Advocate
Education and Training
Audit and Research
Consultant
Clinical Focus
The clinical practice role may be divided into direct and indirect care.
Direct care comprises the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care to the patient, family and/or carer.
Indirect care relates to activities that influence and support the provision of direct care.
Direct Care
Clinical Nurse Specialists will:
Provide a specialist nursing service for patients within their remit who require support and treatment through the continuum of care
Undertake comprehensive patient assessment to include physical, psychological, social and spiritual elements of care using best evidence based practice
Use the outcomes of patient assessment to develop and implement plans of care/case management in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and the patient, family and/or carer as appropriate
Monitor and evaluate the patient's response to treatment and amend the plan of care accordingly in conjunction with the MDT and patient, family and/or carer as appropriate
Make alterations in the management of patient's condition in collaboration with the MDT and the patient in line with agreed pathways and policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines (PPPGs)
Accept appropriate referrals from MDT colleagues
Co-ordinate investigations, treatment therapies, and patient follow-up
Communicate with patients, family and /or carer as appropriate, to assess patient's needs and provide relevant support, information, education, advice and counselling as required
Where appropriate work collaboratively with MDT colleagues across Primary and Secondary Care to provide a seamless service delivery to the patient, family and/or carer as appropriate
Participate in medication reconciliation taking cognisance of poly-pharmacy and support medical and pharmacy staff with medication reviews and medication management
Identify and promote specific symptom management strategies as well as the identification of triggers which may cause exacerbation of symptoms
Provide patients with appropriate self-management strategies and escalation pathways
Support (where appropriate) clinics with MDT input
Identify health promotion priorities for the patient, family and/or carer and support patient self-care in line with best evidence.
This will include the provision of educational and health promotion material which is comprehensive, easy to understand and meets patient's needs .
Indirect Care
Clinical Nurse Specialists will:
Support and facilitate agreed referral pathways for patients
Participate in case review with MDT colleagues
Use a case management approach to patients with complex needs in collaboration with MDT in both Primary and Secondary Care as appropriate
Ensure that practice is evidence based and guided by policy or local protocols
Take a lead role in ensuring the service for patient is in line with best practice guidelines and the Safer Better Healthcare Standards (HIQA, 2012)
Patient/Client Advocate
Clinical Nurse Specialists will:
Communicate, negotiate, and represent patient's family and/or carer values and decisions in relation to their condition in collaboration with MDT colleagues in both Primary and Secondary Care as appropriate
Develop and support the concept of advocacy, particularly in relation to patient participation in decision making, thereby enabling informed choice of treatment options
Respect and maintain the privacy, dignity and confidentiality of the patient, family and/or carer
Establish, maintain and improve procedures for collaboration and cooperation between Acute Services, Primary Care, and Voluntary Organisations as appropriate
Proactively challenge any interaction which fails to deliver a quality service to patients
Education & Training:
Clinical Nurse Specialists will:
Maintain clinical competence in patient management within nursing, keeping up-to-date with relevant research to ensure the implementation of evidence based practice
Provide the patient, family and/or carer with appropriate information and other supportive interventions to increase their knowledge, skill and confidence in managing their condition
Contribute to the design, development, and implementation of education programmes and resources for the patient, family and/or carer thus empowering them to self-manage their condition
Provide mentorship and preceptorship for nursing colleagues as appropriate
Participate and lead training programmes for nursing/midwifery, MDT colleagues and key stakeholders as appropriate
Be responsible for addressing own continuing professional development needs
Audit & Research:
Clinical Nurse Specialists will:
The post holder will maintain a register of patients with within the CNS remit
Maintain a record of clinically relevant data aligned to National Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Support and/or lead audit and research projects relevant to the area of practice
Utilise and disseminate current relevant research to advise and ensure the provision of informed evidence based practice
Consultant:
Clinical Nurse Specialists will:
Provide leadership in clinical practice and act as a resource and role model
Use specialist knowledge to support and enhance generalist nursing practice
Develop collaborative working relationships with local Clinical Nurse Specialists/Registered Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioner/MDT colleagues as appropriate, developing person centred care pathways to promote the integrated model of care delivery
With the support of the Director of Nursing, attend integrated care planning meetings as required
Develop and maintain collaborative networks with specialist services in voluntary organisations which support patients in the community
Liaise with other health service providers in the development and on-going delivery of the National Clinical Programme model of care
Health & Safety:
These duties must be performed in accordance with local organisational and the HSE (Health Service Executive) health and safety polices.
In carrying out these duties the employee must ensure that effective safety procedures are in place to comply with the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act (2005).
Staff must carry out their duties in a safe and responsible manner in line with the local policy documents and as set out in the local safety statement, which must be read and understood.
Quality, Risk and Safety Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of all staff to:
Participate and cooperate with legislative and regulatory requirements with regard to quality, risk, and safety
Participate and cooperate with local quality, risk, and safety initiatives as required
Participate and cooperate with internal and external evaluations of the organisation's structures, services and processes as required, including but not limited to, The National Hygiene Audit, National Decontamination Audit, Health and Safety Audits and other audits specified by the HSE or other regulatory authorities
Support and implement quality improvement initiatives in their area which are in keeping with local organisational quality, risk, and safety requirements
Support the MDT in the development of PPPGs and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulation, and standards
Comply with Health Service Executive (HSE) Complaints Policy
Ensure completion of incident/near miss forms and clinical risk reporting – lead investigations and disseminate findings to key stakeholders where appropriate
Adhere to department policies in relation to the care and safety of any equipment supplied
Management/Administration:
Clinical Nurse Specialists will:
Provide an efficient, effective and high quality service, respecting the needs of each patient, family and/or carer
Effectively manage time and caseload in order to meet changing and developing service needs
Continually monitor the service to ensure it reflects current needs
Support and lead change and quality improvement initiatives with the support of the wider MDT and other stakeholders
Ensure that confidentiality in relation to patient records is maintained
Represent the specialist service at local, national and international forums
Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records and data on all matters pertaining to the planning, management, delivery and evaluation of care and ensure that this service is in line with HSE requirements
Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role
To support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.
Skills, Competencies, and Knowledge:
Professional Knowledge
Clinical Nurse Specialists will:
Practice in accordance with relevant legislation and with regard to The Scope of Nursing & Midwifery Practice Framework (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, 2015) and the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, 2025)
Maintain a high standard of professional behaviour and be professionally accountable for actions/omissions.
Take measures to develop and maintain the competences required for professional practice
Adhere to the Nursing & Midwifery values of Care, Compassion, and Commitment (DoH, 2016)
Adhere to national, regional, and local HSE PPPGs
Adhere to relevant legislation and regulation
Adhere to appropriate lines of authority within the nurse/midwife management structure
Clinical Nurse Specialists will demonstrate:
In-depth knowledge of the role of Clinical Nurse Specialist
A commitment to developing in-depth knowledge of the pathophysiology for the conditions they are supporting
Ability to support nursing assessments for patient caseloads
Critical thinking with regards to referral onto specialist teams or agencies
The ability to formulate a plan of care based on findings and evidence based standards of care and practice guidelines
The ability to follow up and evaluate a plan of care
Knowledge of health promotion principles/coaching/self-management strategies that will enable people to take greater control over decisions and actions that affect their health and wellbeing
An understanding of the principles of clinical governance and risk management
Evidence of teaching in the clinical area
A working knowledge of audit and research processes
Evidence of computer skills including use of Microsoft Word, Excel, E-mail, PowerPoint
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Effective communication skills
Ability to build and maintain relationships particularly in the context of MDT working
Ability to present information in a clear and concise manner
Ability to manage groups through the learning process
Ability to provide constructive feedback to encourage future learning
Effective presentation skills
Organisation and Management Skills:
Evidence of effective organisational skills including awareness of appropriate resource management
Ability to attain designated targets, manage deadlines and multiple tasks
Ability to be self-directed, work on own initiative
A willingness to be flexible in response to changing local/organisational requirements
Building & Maintaining Relationships including Team and Leadership skills
Leadership, change management, and team management skills including the ability to work with MDT colleagues
Commitment to providing a quality service:
Awareness and respect for the patient's views in relation to their care
Evidence of supporting quality improvement programmes
Evidence of conducting audit or service evaluation initiatives
Evidence of motivation by ongoing professional development
Analysing and Decision Making
Effective analytical, problem solving and decision making skills
The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.
Qualifications
Selection Criteria:
Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.
Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.
Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc
Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:
Be a registered nurse/midwife on the active Register of Nurses and Midwivesheld by An Bord Altranais and Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann (Nursing andMidwifery Board of Ireland) or be eligible to be so registered.
AND
(ii) Be registered in the division(s) of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland(Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann) Register for which theapplication is being made or be entitled to be so registered.
OR
(iii) In exceptional circumstances, which will be assessed on a case by case basisbe registered in another Division of the register of Nurses and Midwives.
AND
(iv) Have a minimum of 1 years' post registration full time experience or anaggregate of 1 years' full time experience in the division of the register in whichthe application is being made (taking into account
(ii)
(iii) if relevant)
AND
(v) Have a minimum of 1 years' experience or an aggregate of 1 years' full timeexperience in specialist area ofNeuromuscular Disease.
AND
(vi) Have successfully completed a post registration programme of study (Neurosciences), ascertified by the education provider which verifies that the applicant has achieveda Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), National Framework of Qualifications(NFQ) major academic Level 9 or higher award that is relevant to the specialistarea of care (equivalent to 60 ECTS or above), and in line with the requirementsfor specialist practice as set out by the National Council for Nursing andMidwifery 4th ed (2008).
Alternatively provide written evidence from the Higher Education Institute thatthey have achieved the number of ECTS credits equivalent to a Level 9 or higherstandard, relevant to the specialist area of care (equivalent to 60 ECTS orabove), and in line with the requirements for specialist practice as set out by theNational Council for Nursing and Midwifery 4th ed (2008) (See **Note 1 below).
OR
If the applicant does not possess the relevant QQI NFQ Level 9 qualification, the applicant will be supported to undertake the required postgraduate education, at QQI NFQ level 9 qualification (equivalent to 60 ECTS or above) relevant to the specialist area.
AND
(vii) Be required to demonstrate that they have continuing professional development(CPD) relevant to the specialist area.
AND
(viii) Have the ability to practice safely and effectively fulfilling his/her professionalresponsibility within his/her scope of practice.
**Note 1:
For Nurses/Midwives who express an interest in CNS/CMS roles and whocurrently hold a level 8 educational qualification in the specialist area(equivalent to 60 ECTS or above), this qualification will be recognised up toSeptember 2026
And
(b) Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability, including a high standard ofsuitability and clinical, leadership, managerial and administrative capacity for the properdischarge of the duties of the office.
Annual registration
(i) Practitioners must maintain live annual registration on the appropriate/relevant Divisionof the register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Boardof Ireland (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann) for the role.
And
(ii) Practitioners must confirm annual registration with NMBI to the HSE by way of theannual Service user Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).
Health
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable ofundertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate areasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
Character
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.
Desirable

• Management or leadership experience
• Project management
• Policy development
Further Information for Candidates:
The Hospital
Management Unit:
Informal Enquiries ONLY to:
Name:
Cam Salcedo
Title:
Directorate Nurse Manager
Email address:
Telephone:
0873859439 or 01 852 8337
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