Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provide evidence based clinical care, advice and support to renal cancer patients and their families and carers.

Deliver research and evidence based education and advice and liaise with other members of the multi-disciplinary team and allied health professionals.                                                                                                                      Communicate renal cancer related information to both patients their relatives and carers. This will include imparting information concerning renal cancer, pathology results and prognostic information, as well as information about treatment options, including in the terminal stages of the disease.
Provide empathy and understanding and enable renal cancer patients to voice their concerns; to be involved in the planning of patients care and act as patient advocate where necessary.

Participate in health promotion relating to renal cancer to patients, carers, staff and the general public.

Participate in recruitment to renal cancer clinical trials.

Undertake research and audit in the renal cancer care services provided, evaluate findings and implement change, where appropriate.

Develop specialist programs of care, write and update protocols for renal cancer care nursing services, and set standards of care by implementing national standards of care for patients with renal cancer.

Act as mentor and facilitator to nursing (pre and post registration), medical and allied medical professionals as part of their training.

Advise, educate and update the local renal cancer support group(s) and other associated voluntary bodies.

Attend combined renal oncology clinics; liaise with oncology department to facilitate care for patients undergoing Anti-cancer treatment and radiotherapy
Clinical 
Work unsupervised and autonomously, assessing, planning, implementing programs of holistic specialist renal care nursing care for newly diagnosed patients with renal cancer.

Make a psychosocial assessment of each individual, offer specialist support as appropriate, and advise patients and their carers about support services available, refer on as appropriate to social services, support groups, primary health care teams, etc.

Act as 'key worker' within the multidisciplinary team taking a central role in coordinating individual patients care, promoting continuity through the treatment modalities and be responsible for an allocated caseload of patients.

Act as a specialist renal cancer nurse and key worker provide patients with a primary point of contact for information and advice.

Act as an Expert resource to educate and advise health care colleagues both within the Trust and primary care teams.

Acting as facilitator - educate, advise and assist patients with making complex treatment decisions.

Supporting patients on the ward addressing their psychological needs, providing coping strategies and advising patients about recovery discharge from hospital and aftercare; supporting junior ward staff with specific patients with complex psychological issue.

Provide support and supervision to learners in highly distressing situations.

Run a nurse led clinic, assessing patients’ fitness to continue with treatment.

Education
Act as mentor, and expert resource for specialist renal cancer nursing team.

Act as mentor and provide teaching to pre and post registration nurses and allied professionals teaching utilizing highly specialized knowledge and underpinning theory and experience.

Undertake further training as identified in IPR, independently and in conjunction with other health professionals and keep updated with current research, evidence and developments in renal cancer. Adhere to Nursing and Midwifery guidelines on Continuing Professional Development.

Undergo mandatory and statutory training at intervals defined by hospital trust.

To attend relevant meetings, courses, seminars and keep professionally updated.

Provide specialist teaching about renal cancer treatment and role of specialist nurse to learners within the Trust and network including in house training courses.

Reflect upon practice and attend clinical supervision to develop and enhance practice.
 Regularly review and influence information provided to patients and their carers, and be aware of variety of sources available to patients.

Communication
Offer a supportive service to renal cancer patients their families and carers – imparting specialist knowledge and information about renal cancer and its treatments, whilst respecting patient confidentiality and privacy.

Communicate and care for patients in highly distressed circumstances. This will involve giving highly sensitive and distressing information.

Act as patient advocate and assist patients in making complex decisions about treatment modalities with respect for diverse personal and cultural backgrounds, providing an empathetic forum for patients wishing to voice their concerns.

Act as patient advocate in MDT, voicing their concerns and preferences.

Sustain a high quality service communicating with the multidisciplinary team and allied health professionals and participate in case discussions in MDM to advise clinicians.                                                                                           Provide a contact telephone service for patients, their relatives and carers needing advice, information about treatments, presenting with symptoms, advising and where appropriate arranging appointments or referrals to the specialist nurse clinics or appropriate discipline. 

Maintain accurate records of the clinical service and ensure confidentiality.