CNS ; Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse

Job Description Job Title; Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinical Nurse Specialist Department ; Cardiology Reports to ; ADON Cardiology Date ; 2026 Overall Purpose of Job The Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is responsible for providing advanced nursing care, leadership, education and coordination in the delivery, development and evaluation of a cardiac rehabilitation service including cardiac rehabilitation programs within Beacon Hospital. To develop and refine evidence-based protocols, pathways and ensure a high-quality service for this patient cohort. This role involves comprehensive patient assessments, developing individualised care plans, educating patients and families, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to optimise patient outcomes. Key Responsibilities and Deliverables The CNS will be responsible in conjunction with ADON [Assistant Director of Nursing] and Head of Service for ongoing management and growth of Cardiac Rehab Program within Beacon Hospital in collaboration with physiotherapy. The CNS will be required to provide excellent patient centered care to all patients and to work autonomously in providing specialist assessment, advice and management. Educate patients and families about lifestyle modifications to enhance cardiac rehabilitation. Provide information on medication management, dietary recommendations, and exercise programs. Ensure patients receive individualized care appropriate to their needs. Demonstrate appropriate practice and specialist advice in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of patient care. Act as patient advocate. Utilize the nursing process as it applies to clinical practice, education, competency validation and program development. Demonstrate ability to perform competencies as set out by the Assistant Director of Nursing and Director of Clinical Services to include but not limited to maintaining and accurately documenting information by using the relevant computer systems. Participate in ongoing clinical, audit and quality programs and contributes to the cardiology service strategic plan, yearly education plan, goals and objectives and the Quality Management Process. Maintain Data Collection and reporting for continuous review and Improvements. Engage in staff education and be a support to colleagues. Accept responsibility for own actions and omissions, accepts the consequences of all actions. Works within and understands their scope of practice. Plan and utilize resources effectively and efficiently. Delivers care within a specified timeframe. Ensure appropriate staff communication takes place within a pressured environment. Participate in research, audit and quality initiatives such as introduction of Clinical Practice Guidelines and Quality Improvement projects for JCI [Joint Commission International] accreditation. Become an active member of the Cardiology Clinical Nurse Specialist group which includes involvement in education programs for the Cardiology Staff Department and other departments hospital wide. Work collaboratively within the cardiology CNS group. Cross cover disciplines for annual leave such as Heart Failure, Electrophysiology and Structural within scope of practice. Responsible for preparation of statistical report of service line monthly to Head of Service. Interrelationships Maintain good working relationships with other departments, with physicians, patients, families and outside agencies. Communicate during the shift with the Nurse Manager on various units & Nurse Supervisor if required. Demonstrate the ability to delegate tasks and responsibilities. Participate in ongoing consultation and collaboration with physicians and other care. Demonstrate willingness to assist co-workers whenever needed. The post holder will partake in the Total Quality Management processes thereby contributing to: The identification of quality, policy & guideline issues. The evaluation of current practices to best practice. The setting of standards utilising structure, process and outcome. All hospital, regional and national audit processes. The Hospital Wide Accreditation Cycle. Health Promotion initiatives. Personal & Professional Responsibilities The post holder is expected to Attend in a timely manner all mandatory education sessions. Maintain a professional portfolio. Ensure their professional and personal persona positively reflects the profession of nursing and Beacon Hospital. Identify potential and beneficial topics for nursing research. Utilise all practical opportunities to educate the patient and their families. Attend appropriate study days & courses. Be a preceptor and or supervisor to students & newly appointed staff. Participate in their performance review with their Assistant Director of Nursing. Assume responsibility for own learning and development needs. Other Duties and Responsibilities Utilise effective time management skills. Maintain professional appearance and dress code. Comply with guidelines for absence or tardiness Attend staff meetings, reads email and other postings. Attend all required in-services. All employees are expected to remain flexible to meet the needs of the Hospital, which may include redeployment to other departments to assist as the patient needs fluctuate. Wears Identification badge when working. This job description is not intended to be a complete list of duties and responsibilities but is a guide for information to the role.The post holder may be required, after consultation, to carry out other related tasks, which may not be specifically mentioned above. Person Specification Qualifications Nursing Board Registered General Nurse (NMBI) licence in good standing. Post Graduate qualification in Cardiology/Cardiovascular Nursing. Advanced Health Assessment Desirable Minimum of five-year post registration experience in the acute sector Experience in Cardiac Rehabilitation Evidence of personal professional continuing development ACLS / BLS Experience Ability to develop policies and protocols in conjunction with other members of the team Candidates must possess teaching abilities, leadership qualities, professional judgment, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, and a sense of professional development. Must demonstrate multi-tasking ability. The employee, must speak, read and write grammatically correct English. Utilises effective time management skills. Participates in unit/section problem solving and improvement of systems. Clearly documents all pertinent aspects of patient care in the patient notes. Adheres to Standard Precautions as appropriate. The use of protective barriers as appropriate. Handling and disposing of infectious waste appropriately. Hand hygiene as appropriate. Job Specific Competencies and Knowledge Competencies specific to the role of Cardiology Nurse Specialist Knowledge Demonstrate evidence of recent and relevant experience in the specialised area and in an acute hospital setting. Demonstrate knowledge of new developments in specialised area. Demonstrate knowledge of national strategies where appropriate to nursing care. Teamwork Demonstrate ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Demonstrate effective communication skills including the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner. Planning and Organising Demonstrate evidence of effective planning, organising and time management skills. Demonstrate flexible approach to internal rotations, rostering. Patient & Customer Focus Demonstrate a focus on quality. Demonstrate evidence of ability to empathise with and treat patients, relatives and colleagues with dignity and respect Personal Competencies All posts in Beacon Hospital require a high level of flexibility to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient service.Therefore, the post holder will be required to demonstrate flexibility as and when required by their manager or hospital management. This job description is intended to be an outline of the areas of responsibility and deliverables at the time of its writing.As the Hospital and the post holder develop, this job description may be subject to review in light of the changing needs of the Hospital. Job Description received by employee:__________________________________________________________ SignatureDate ______________________________________ Name (Block Capitals) Skills: CNS Nurse Cardiac Rehab