Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner – Acute Stroke

Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner – Acute Stroke Overview

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is looking for a motivated Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) to join the Acute Stroke Service. This position plays a vital role in delivering high-quality hyper acute and acute stroke care, assisting patients throughout the stroke care pathway, which includes the Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU), acute stroke wards, and rapid-access Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) clinics. Upon qualification, the ACP will become an experienced and autonomous practitioner responsible for advanced clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management of patients with suspected or confirmed acute stroke and TIA.

The role is supported by the four pillars of advanced practice: clinical practice, leadership, education, and research, with a strong emphasis on direct patient care and service development. The successful candidate will join the service during an exciting period of expansion and will be expected to participate in a weekend rota as more positions are created. You will also be part of a well-established ACP community within the Trust.

Main Duties

• Engage in all necessary training and study to achieve the ACP qualification.
• Work in close collaboration with the Stroke Consultant team, nursing staff, therapists, radiology, and emergency services to provide timely and effective care for patients with suspected or confirmed stroke and TIA.
• Conduct advanced clinical assessments for patients with acute neurological deficits, differentiating between stroke, TIA, and stroke mimics.
• Function as an autonomous practitioner within the agreed scope, making expert clinical decisions in complex and urgent situations.
• Support the hyper acute stroke pathway, including initial assessments, urgent imaging coordination, and thrombolysis and thrombectomy support.
• Monitor patients’ clinical conditions and escalate care as necessary.
• Perform independent prescribing to optimize secondary stroke prevention and symptom management in accordance with national and local guidelines.
• Request and interpret relevant radiological and pathology investigations for acute stroke and TIA management.
• Provide advanced clinical care in TIA and rapid-access stroke clinics, including risk stratification, initiation of secondary prevention, and referrals.

Qualifications and Experience

• Essential: Registered general nurse or allied healthcare professional with a teaching/assessment and mentoring qualification.
• Prior experience in teaching patients and staff, either formally or informally.
• Desirable: A Master’s degree in Advanced Practice or equivalent, and a Non-Medical Prescriber qualification.
• Extensive experience in stroke, neurosciences, or acute medicine relevant to stroke services.
• Experience working autonomously within a specialty.
• Knowledge of professional issues and guidelines from NMC/AHP related to practice.
• Demonstrated ability to work across organizational boundaries and apply research evidence to clinical practice.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and maintaining a personal competency profile.
• Desirable: Up-to-date knowledge of Advanced Practice and familiarity with acute stroke pathways and secondary prevention.

Benefits

• 20% non-clinical time for development across the four pillars of advanced practice.
• Access to ACP peer teaching.
• Support from the Trust ACP Lead.
• Allocated medical supervisor.

This position is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service Check and requires current UK professional registration. Applications from individuals requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcomed and will be considered alongside all other applications.

Degree Requirement: Not Specified

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