HSE South West is inviting applications for the post of Clinical Nurse Specialist (General) — Sain-Altra (Ginearálta) — in its Positive Behaviour Support Disability Services, based in Cork. This is a permanent, wholetime post offering an exceptional opportunity for an experienced registered nurse to work at the forefront of specialist clinical practice in disability services.
About the Role
The Clinical Nurse Specialist (General) — Positive Behaviour Support will provide specialist nursing assessment, intervention, and consultancy to people with disabilities who present with behaviours of concern. Operating within the HSE South West Disability Services, the CNS will work as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team, providing evidence-based, person-centred support to service users and their families across Cork.
The CNS post is designed to function at an advanced level of nursing practice, offering leadership, clinical expertise, and service development within a defined specialist area. The post-holder will work collaboratively with service users, families, frontline staff, and the wider interdisciplinary team to promote quality of life and reduce the impact of behaviours of concern through proactive, positive behaviour support frameworks.
Key Responsibilities
Note: Full responsibilities are detailed in the Job Specification available for download from the Rezoomo advertisement. The following reflects the core functions of the CNS (General) grade in a Positive Behaviour Support context and is subject to editorial verification prior to publishing.
- Provide specialist nursing assessment, diagnosis, and intervention for service users presenting with behaviours of concern within disability services.
- Develop, implement, and evaluate individual Positive Behaviour Support plans in collaboration with the person, family, and multidisciplinary team.
- Act as a resource and consultant to frontline nursing and care staff in the application of evidence-based PBS approaches.
- Lead and participate in case conferences, clinical reviews, and interdisciplinary team meetings as required.
- Maintain comprehensive clinical records and contribute to audit, research, and quality improvement initiatives.
- Provide clinical supervision, mentoring, and education to nursing and support staff.
- Contribute to the development of policies, protocols, and guidelines relevant to positive behaviour support.
- Promote the rights, dignity, and autonomy of people with disabilities in all clinical interactions.
- Engage in continuous professional development and maintain CNS competency standards in line with NMBI requirements.
Requirements and Qualifications
Note: Full eligibility criteria are set out in the Job Specification. The following reflects the standard requirements for the CNS (General) grade and should be verified against the official Job Specification before publishing.
- Be registered in the General division of the Register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by NMBI (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland).
- Have a minimum of one year’s post-registration full-time experience (or an aggregate of one year’s full-time experience) in the specialist area of the CNS post.
- Have a minimum of five years’ post-registration nursing experience in the division of the register in which the application is being made.
- Hold a post-registration qualification in nursing relevant to the specialist area, at minimum Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications, or be currently enrolled and in the final stage of completion of such a programme.
- Demonstrate evidence of Continuing Professional Development relevant to positive behaviour support or disability nursing.
Salary
The salary for this post is in line with the HSE Clinical Nurse Specialist (General) (Grade 2632) pay scale, effective 1 June 2026 (DoH Circular 2/2026). The 11-point incremental scale ranges from €62,699 to €76,921 per annum, with a Long Service Increment of €79,227 for eligible post-holders.
Location
This post is based in Cork and forms part of HSE South West’s Positive Behaviour Support Disability Services. HSE South West covers Kerry and Cork and operates a wide network of community and facility-based disability services across the region. The successful candidate will work within a specialist team committed to delivering high-quality, rights-based disability supports.
Contract Type
Permanent Wholetime.
Application Details
Applications must be submitted via the Rezoomo platform. Please download, save, and read the Job Specification, Additional Campaign Information, and Application Form — all available at the bottom of the Rezoomo advertisement — before completing your application.
Reference: SWNM99193
For technical issues with uploading the application form, contact: dermot.murphy@hse.ie
Informal Enquiries
For further information about the role, contact Susan Wall, Director of Service, by email at susan.wall@hse.ie or by telephone at 087 249 7824.
