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Job summary

Main area
Cardiology
Grade
Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
344-5737WHH
Employer
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
William Harvey Hospital
Town
Ashford
Salary
£47,810 - £54,710 Per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
06/02/2026 08:00

Employer heading

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust logo

Cardiology Specialist Nurse - Rapid Access Chest Pain

Band 7

Job overview

Are you an experienced cardiac nurse passionate about delivering safe, timely and high-quality care for patients with suspected or established coronary artery disease?

We are looking for a motivated and clinically confident Rapid Access Chest Pain Nurse to join our dynamic Cardiology team within East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

The post holder will work as an autonomous specialist nurse practitioner in the RACPC service using specialized skills and knowledge to assess, plan implement and evaluate expert nursing care for patients to facilitate early diagnosis, investigation, 
and treatments.

Our large district general hospitals, specialist units and community sites provide a vibrant and diverse working environment with the extensive 
opportunities and teaching facilities you would 
expect of a large trust.

East Kent offers stunning countryside, beautiful beaches and charming places of historic interest, with easy access to London. With excellent 
schools, a wealth of leisure facilities and easy family days out on your doorstep, alongside beautiful and affordable housing stock, the 
perfect work-life balance couldn’t be easier to achieve.

Main duties of the job

The post holder support and contribute to the existing nurse‐led Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic service in accordance with national targets providing expert clinical assessment and triage of patients referred to the Rapid Access Chest Pain Service.

·         Undertake comprehensive patient histories, cardiovascular examinations, ECG interpretation, blood test interpretation and risk stratification using NICE and ESC guidelines.

·         Initiate and interpret appropriate diagnostic investigations (e.g. ETT, CTCA, Cardiac MRI, echocardiography, troponins) in liaison with the Cardiology Consultant team.

·         Lead nurse-led chest pain clinics, delivering high-quality, evidence-based patient care.

·         Provide education, advice, and reassurance to patients and carers regarding diagnosis, risk factors, and lifestyle modification.

·         Act as a clinical resource and role model within the cardiology department, supporting junior nurses and allied health professionals.

·        Collaborate with the rest of the Cardiology service and wider multidisciplinary team to ensure seamless patient pathways between emergency, inpatient, and outpatient cardiology services.

·        Participate in service development, clinical audit, and quality improvement initiatives.

·        Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation in accordance with Trust policy and NMC standards.

Working for our organisation

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five
hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference’. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in ‘Documents to download’.

If you have further queries please don’t hesitate to contact the line manager using the contact details below.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria
  • • RGN with Current NMC registration.
  • • Evidence of continuing professional development within Cardiology
  • • Non-medical prescriber (V300) or willingness to complete
  • • Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
  • • Excellent communication and decision-making skills
Desirable criteria
  • • Postgraduate qualification in cardiac nursing or advanced clinical assessment
  • • Experience in leading nurse-led clinics.

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential criteria
  • • Strong ECG and chest pain assessment skills
  • • Proven experience and competence in cardiology nursing, including the assessment and management of patients with chest pain and suspected coronary disease.
  • • Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team and coordinating care across acute and outpatient settings.
  • • Competent IT skills, including use of electronic patient records and audit databases.
Desirable criteria
  • • Experience of assessing patients and developing specialised programmes of care
  • • Experience interpreting advanced cardiac investigations (e.g. echocardiography, CTCA, stress testing).
  • • Experience in education, teaching, or mentorship of students or junior staff.

Governance

Essential criteria
  • Experience participating in clinical audit, service evaluation or quality improvement initiatives. Utilisation of clinical effectiveness tools to deliver quality improvement e.g. risk management and clinical audit.
  • Experience of writing reports and presenting to teams or small groups
  • Understanding of clinical governance, patient safety, and risk management frameworks.
  • Utilisation of clinical effectiveness tools to deliver quality improvement e.g. risk management and clinical audit.
  • Commitment to maintaining accurate, timely and high-quality documentation in line with NMC and Trust standards.
Desirable criteria
  • Involvement in research, data collection, or participation in external audits (e.g. MINAP).
  • Experience in leading or contributing to guideline development, service redesign or innovation projects within cardiology.

Personal & Professional Attributes

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrates compassionate, patient-centred care and commitment to the Trust’s values
  • Demonstrate self-awareness and critical reflection.
  • Excellent communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
  • Demonstrates critical thinking, clinical judgement and prioritisation under pressure.
  • Commitment to continuous professional development and reflective practice.
  • Flexible and adaptable approach with the ability to travel between Trust sites (WHH, QEQM, and K&C) to meet service needs, with reasonable adjustments supported where required.
Desirable criteria
  • Proven leadership or supervisory experience.
  • Evidence of involvement in staff wellbeing, inclusion, or patient-experience initiatives.

Other Requirements

Essential criteria
  • Flexibility in working patterns to meet the needs of the service
  • Commitment to equity and diversity
  • Self-motivated, positive, adaptable and flexible approach
  • Upholds and role models the Trust values

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion is the leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion in the workplace.Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeImproving working livesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is the UK's leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace.Prince's Trust - Proud to support the Prince's trust - Youth can do itStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Dexter Lugasan
Job title
Lead Cardiology Nurse
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07934603629