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Find out more about what is needed to join us. Browse the specialisms that we’re currently recruiting for at the Nursing Guild.
Palliative care nurses provide care for people who are living with terminal illnesses, helping them to achieve the best quality of life. As well as supporting patients, palliative care nurses also help families through some of the most difficult times in their lives.
At the Guild, our palliative care nurses are available at short notice to provide care within community and hospital settings. In this blog, we will discuss the role of a palliative care nurse, their responsibilities, necessary skills and the steps to take in order to become one.
The main purpose of palliative care is to minimise any symptoms that are causing patients to feel discomfort as well as physical and emotional distress.
Patients could be in pain due to illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. These illnesses can result in patients and their loved ones needing palliative care nurses, who are there to enhance the level of comfort for patients and address any health issues that they experience.
A palliative care nurse takes on a wide variety of responsibilities, which can vary from day to day. They look after the wellbeing of patients and provide physical comfort and emotional support to both patients and their families.
The main duties of a palliative care nurse include:
Palliative care nurses provide a multidisciplinary treatment approach that helps patients to maintain their physical and mental health. Patients will often have a customised plan that provides lasting relief – for palliative care nurses, there is typically a strong focus on improving the patient’s quality of life in their final days.
Find out more about what is needed to join us. Browse the specialisms that we’re currently recruiting for at the Nursing Guild.
One of the main benefits of working as a palliative care nurse is that it’s an extremely rewarding career. You get to make a valuable difference in someone’s life. The role can bring with it great job satisfaction as you spend time caring for each patient, getting to know them and their family.
If you become a palliative care agency nurse with the Guild, you’ll also enjoy other benefits including the flexibility to choose your own shifts along with the opportunity to explore different Trusts, gain new experience and receive financial benefits. Furthermore, you’ll have the opportunity to positively impact someone’s life during uncertain times when they might have otherwise missed out on the support they need.
As a palliative care nurse, you have the opportunity to work in various settings, including:
The skills and qualities that are important for a palliative care nurse to possess include the following:
To work as a palliative care nurse in Scotland, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, it is necessary to first become a registered nurse.
There are a number of routes into nursing, including completing a degree or traineeship approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), or the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland .
Once qualified as a nurse, you will need to complete end-of-life training. Training can vary from short courses where you gain a completion certificate at the end, to longer courses taking a few weeks where a palliative care qualification is achieved. Training can be done whilst you work as a general nurse or within a palliative care setting such as in a hospice.
To be able to practice in the UK, all nurses have to register with the NMC or the NMBI in Ireland.
Are you thinking of becoming a palliative care nurse? Here at the Guild, we have a wide range of roles in different locations that offer a multitude of benefits such as competitive pay and training opportunities.
Contact our team today for more information, or register online now.
We are looking for exceptional nursing and midwifery professionals to join our team. Register with the Nursing Guild to access high rates of pay, paid mileage and support with revalidation.