Job description
Substance Misuse Nurse
Salary Grade: SP 33–39
Registration: Current NMC PIN required
DBS: Enhanced level check required
About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity for a registered nurse to join a specialist multidisciplinary team delivering expert clinical interventions to individuals accessing substance misuse services. You will play an integral role in supporting people on their recovery journeys across a community setting.
Working under the direction of the Lead Nurse, you will bring both clinical expertise and compassion to every interaction, contributing to a service that makes a genuine and lasting difference to people's lives.
Key Responsibilities — Clinical Practice
- Undertake physical and mental health assessments and ensure appropriate referral to primary or secondary care for identified health needs
- Conduct alcohol assessments to determine suitability for safe community detoxification
- Support the opioid substitution therapy (OST) titration process, collaborating with community pharmacists and the wider team
- Provide education, health promotion and screening for blood borne viruses (BBV), including Hepatitis A and B vaccinations
- Work within integrated care pathways for individuals affected by BBVs including Hepatitis B, C and/or HIV
- Undertake community alcohol detoxification and support opioid detoxification programmes
- Carry out phlebotomy and use blood results to inform health assessments and referral decisions
- Refer to and liaise with specialist inpatient services where clinically indicated
- Contribute to the Naloxone Strategy — training staff and service users and distributing naloxone at every opportunity
- Offer wound care assessment and basic wound dressing, with clear onward referral pathways
- Manage emergency situations including basic life support, defibrillation, anaphylaxis and overdose response
- Adhere to legislation surrounding Patient Group Directions (PGDs)
- Utilise psychosocial interventions in one-to-one and group settings to promote recovery ownership
Key Responsibilities — Communication & Leadership
- Build therapeutic alliances with service users and provide ongoing health promotion and harm reduction advice
- Communicate treatment plans and investigation outcomes clearly to GPs and other healthcare agencies
- Maintain up-to-date clinical knowledge and meet all NMC revalidation requirements
- Provide clinical leadership including coaching and teaching staff around harm reduction and BBVs
- Supervise healthcare assistants, student nurses and volunteers as required by service structure
- Contribute to risk assessments, risk management plans and harm reduction strategies
- Ensure procedures reflect best practice in line with NICE guidance and UK Clinical Management Guidelines
- Work collaboratively to design and deliver community opioid and alcohol detoxification plans
- Accurately record and input client data in line with contractual and administrative requirements
Person Specification
Education, Knowledge & Experience
| First level registered nurse with a current NMC PIN | Essential |
| Sound knowledge of harm reduction and health promotion interventions | Essential |
| Clear understanding of the need to deliver quality services | Essential |
| Relevant recent experience in drug and alcohol treatment | Desirable |
| Knowledge of clinical prescribing issues in substance misuse | Desirable |
| Understanding of substance misuse medical interventions, social care and health issues | Desirable |
| Trained in phlebotomy | Desirable |
| Motivational interviewing techniques | Desirable |
| Qualification in substance misuse | Desirable |
Abilities & Skills
| Ability to co-produce recovery plans and formulate written reports | Essential |
| Confident verbal and written communication skills | Essential |
| Professional, empathetic and non-judgmental attitude | Essential |
| Ability to maintain professional boundaries across partnership agencies | Essential |
| Capacity to work independently and remain calm under pressure | Essential |
| Flexible approach to meet the demands of the role | Essential |
| Ability to travel between services | Essential |
| Clinical auditing skills to support service evaluation | Desirable |
Additional Information
This role may require flexibility around hours, including some evening, weekend and bank holiday working. You will work across operational sites as required. All nurses will be supported through their NMC professional revalidation programme, with access to continuing professional development and both internal and external training opportunities.