Clinical Nurse Specialist – Liaison Psychiatry: Sponsorship Available

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist – Liaison Psychiatry to join our friendly and innovative team within the City and Weston Hospital Operating Unit, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Registered Mental Health Nurse to join our dynamic and accredited Liaison Psychiatry Service. The post holder will provide specialist mental health assessments across the Emergency Department and acute hospital, supporting patients presenting with self-harm, suicidality, behavioural disturbance, psychological distress and other complex mental health needs.

You will undertake comprehensive biopsychosocial and risk assessments, coordinate care plans, provide expert advice to patients, carers and clinical teams, and act as an autonomous practitioner within the multidisciplinary team.

Working closely with nursing, medical and allied health professionals, you will provide clinical leadership, contribute to service development, support education and training, and promote best practice in mental health care across the Trust.

Applicants should have a minimum of two years’ experience at Band 6 level or above within Liaison Psychiatry, Crisis Services or a similar acute mental health setting.

Main duties of the job

  • Provide expert specialist nursing assessment, advice and support to patients presenting with complex mental health needs within the acute hospital setting.
  • Undertake comprehensive biopsychosocial, mental health and risk assessments, developing and coordinating appropriate care plans.
  • Act as an autonomous practitioner, providing specialist advice and guidance to patients, carers, ward teams and multidisciplinary colleagues.
  • Lead on the assessment and management of patients presenting with self-harm, suicidal ideation, behavioural disturbance, cognitive impairment and other acute mental health presentations.
  • Work collaboratively with acute, community, social care and mental health services to ensure seamless, patient-centred care and effective discharge planning.
  • Provide leadership, supervision and support to nursing staff and contribute to the professional development of the wider multidisciplinary team.
  • Deliver education and training to acute hospital staff, promoting mental health awareness and best practice across the Trust.
  • Participate in clinical governance, audit, quality improvement and service development initiatives to enhance patient outcomes and service delivery.
  • Promote patient, carer and public involvement in service evaluation and development.
  • Support the delivery of a safe, responsive and high-quality Liaison Psychiatry service in line with Trust and national standards.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Extensive post registration experience – min 5 years, and at least 2 years mental health nursing at Band 6 or above
  • Extensive knowledge of the various approaches to mental health assessment
  • Experience of working autonomously and therapeutically in residential/community settings
  • Knowledge of key areas of liaison psychiatry practice, including the psychological effects of physical illness
  • Knowledge of the clinical and demographic risk factors associated with self-harm and suicide
  • Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Mental Health Act and their use in the general hospital
  • Knowledge of working therapeutically with individuals following self-harm

Desirable

  • Experience of participation in audit, quality improvement or service development initiatives.
  • Experience and knowledge of advanced practice/ protocols
  • Experience of working in Acute Mental Health care settings

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Skills in assessing, planning implementing and evaluating mental health nursing interventions
  • Ability to interact therapeutically with distressed and/or disturbed individuals and/or those in crisis
  • Skills in interacting effectively with colleagues from a range of specialties and departments
  • Evidence of effective organisational and time management skills
  • Effective verbal & written communication skills
  • Knowledge of the teaching process, skills in teaching to a range of levels of staff

Desirable

  • Skills in complex report writing

Qualifications and Training

Essential

  • RMN with First Degree or equivalent
  • Current NMC registration
  • Teaching and assessing qualification or equivalent experience

Desirable

  • Recognised qualification in delivering therapeutic inventions
  • Post qualification Master’s Degree or equivalent experience

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 9 November 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.