Clare Hudson

I believe I am a accomplished professional with expertise in operational team leadership as well as a established specialist nurse within palliative care, demonstrating advanced communication and consultation skills.

I am proficient in policy and guideline development.

I have a strong background as a nurse prescriber within my field as clinical nurse specialist, as well as having advanced consultation and clinical examination skills.

I am committed to enhancing patient care through strategic policy initiatives and effective team management.

I have been with my current team for nine years, starting as a band 6 specialist nurse in the community, I then worked for a year through covid in the hospital palliative care team as the band 7 where I helped to develop and deliver palliative care education across the trust.

I then moved back across to the community team and became the band 7 team lead, this role has evolved over the years, I support a team of band 6 specialist nurses to deliver high quality end of life care.

I work both operationally and clinically supporting the team in complex clinical decision making, line managing the team.

The role involves an oversight in delivery of safe,effective, equitable person centered care across the community as well consistent leadership, ensuring staff well being, professional development and performance conversations.

The role requires close working relationships with GP's, community teams and hospices across the patch as well as supporting the implementation of pathways and quality improvement.

I have more recently stepped up to the Lead Palliative Care Nurse role for the trust, I undertook this for four months whilst there was a vacancy, this involved managing both the community and hospital palliative care team, allowing the teams to feel supported through a period of uncertainty, this allowed me to develop more as a leader and understand the wider role.

• Echo programme HDFT 2020
• Leadership Circle HDFT 2021
• Understanding and Interpreting blood results M+K Updates 2 days 2019
• Advanced Communication Skills St Gemma’s Hospice 3 days 2016
• Management and Leadership Leeds Trust 18 days 2016

• I am an experienced senior nurse in a specialist palliative care team with sound clinical skills which I have developed in a variety of settings; community, hospice and acute medicine. I am a motivated and dynamic professional currently practicing in an acute hospital covering approximately 400 beds.
• I am a conscientious and committed practitioner that takes pride in delivering high quality advanced specialist palliative care and end of life care with a compassionate, calm and professional approach. Within my practice I advocate a patient centred holistic approach and am confident in communicating with patients, families and other professionals, I am not afraid to challenge when appropriate. I strive to provide patient focused and individualised care; the patients are my drive for service improvement. I endeavour to lead by example and to be an effective role model supporting others to maximise their potential, influencing changes to the development of services.
• I feel I am calm under pressure, fair and approachable as well as being confident within my role. I am able to prioritise and manage a caseload effectively working autonomously but also as part of the team, always ensuring my colleagues feel supported.
• I have increased my knowledge and learning through a variety of education programmes, for example I completed non-medical prescribing working alongside a palliative care consultant and a local GP. More recently I completed a blood results course enhancing my assessment skills and have attended conferences and short courses on ‘Care of the Dying Patient’ which all have advanced my knowledge and understanding.
• Effective Communication is key within my role, often facilitating difficult conversations with patients and their families, delivering this information in a sensitive empathetic way is essential, as well as supporting patients with advance care planning and often acting as the patients advocate, part of these informed discussions can lead to patients making choices about treatment, interventions and care options.
• More recently I have taken on some responsibility for the education strategy for palliative and end of life care across HDFT delivering teachings to staff employed by the trust both in the acute and community setting. The importance of education around palliative and end of life care is key to improving patient care. This is an area I am passionate about and one in which I hope to expand further in the coming months.
• Within my current role, I provide specialist palliative care to patients with both complex symptom management and end of life care needs in the acute trust.
• Previous to this role I delivered this service in the community for 2 years. I have adapted to the change in environment and learnt quickly on the job and have a greater understanding of the challenges each setting brings.
• I have sound assessment skills and am experienced in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating the care of patients with specialist palliative care needs. An essential element of my role is symptom management of complex palliative care needs, advance care planning and facilitating rapid discharge home for end of life care, resulting in patients achieving their preferred place of care/death. Recording of these decisions is essential and these decisions are recorded on EPaCCs.
• I am competent in Fast track assessment/ completion, DNAR conversations and am a signatory.
• I have advanced communication skills; I use these in conversations with patients and families relaying sensitive and complex information with compassion and empathy.
• I am able to support patients, families and children through pre and post bereavement.
• I am able to prescribe competently within my clinical field; this reduces any delay in patients receiving effective treatment for their symptoms in a timely manner.
• Within my current role I have a weekly MDT where new and complex patients can be discussed as a team, we share ideas on how best to manage patients and agree a plan of action. It is also an opportunity to look at wider issues which can often be resolved with a MDT approach.
• As part of my role I undertake research and audit projects, I have been involved in a community prescribing audit and more recently a similar audit within the hospital setting. This has enabled myself and colleagues to look at relevant changes required and to drive those changes forward.
• I have undertaken some research around nurse led palliative care clinics for patients in the community setting; currently this is on hold due to covid 19. I would be keen to continue this in the future.
• I recently undertook a small audit around changes to the 'Care After Death Process' through Covid 19, this was carried out via a questionnaire within the ward setting, discussions with health care professionals involved in the process. A report was then formulated from the results, implementing changes required as a result.
• I believe I am a committed, passionate and enthusiastic specialist palliative care nurse with sound clinical and leadership experience that makes me a suitable candidate for this post.

• I am a keen traveller and enjoy adventures.I enjoy both spinning and pilates. I am also a nurse prescriber for a aesthetic practitioner this involves me holding a monthly clinic to review all clients face to face with the practitoner.

2026 Nominated and received a award for Making a Difference award this nomination was for exceptional leadership and professionalism whilst leading the palliative care and end of life team during a challenging period, supporting and guiding the team.

2024 Nominated and received a award for Making a difference, this nomination was made from a family of a patient I had cared for in the community, the family nominated me for the award as the felt supported throughout the patients illness till the end of life, and that they had felt from the moment I walked in to their home they were in safe hands, always showing dedication, compassion approach which made a significant difference to both the patient and the family.