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Job summary

Main area
Respiratory
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
409-6167012
Employer
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Southport Hospital
Town
Kew
Salary
£43,742 - £50,056 per annum under Annex 21 terms and conditions
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/05/2024 23:59

Employer heading

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist

NHS AfC: Band 7

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated individual who is keen to utilise and develop their skills within this exciting specialist cancer nursing role.  The post will have excellent support from the Trust Cancer Services department and Respiratory Medicine.

The successful candidate will work both autonomously and as part of an excellent MDT to deliver high quality clinical care.

The role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Cancer Care can be complex and varied, involving interventions and communication with multiple health care professionals across primary and secondary care and other private and charitable organisations. The CNS role improves the quality and experience of care for patients, reinforces patient safety, demonstrates leadership and can increase productivity and efficiency within the service.

The successful post holder will be supported by the lead cancer Nurse and Cancer Manager, and with the Macmillan badging will have access to excellent CPD. The post holder will work across both Southport & Ormskirk sites as required.

Trainee Opportunity 

The person specification for this role is attached to the advert. If you are interested in this position as a training / development opportunity, please review the person specification. We do require a level of skill and experience, but the complexity and breadth can be developed as you progress within the role.

Interview date to be confirmed 

Main duties of the job

  • Assess, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of evidence-based nursing care.
  • Provide expert advice and clinical practice.
  • Provide specialist education and training to others.
  • Work collaboratively and co-operatively with clinical colleagues to develop services and high quality of care delivered.
  • Lead the development of clinical services within the specialist field.
  • Providing leadership to specialist nursing team in the provision of first contact assessments, diagnosis, and comprehensive assessments. 
  • Triage more complex/advanced conditions where more specialist treatment is required to appropriate nursing staff.
  • Manage an agreed patient caseload, when the diagnosis may be uncertain, according to own advanced clinical judgement and skills.
  • Order/undertake, interpret, and act upon diagnostic tests and investigations.
  • To carry out the relevant, appropriate respiratory clinical examination(s).  Identify, assess and triage patients ensuring smooth transition to other services as appropriate.
  • As required highly undertake specialist procedures and lead on clinical pathways which may include making clinical judgement on the prioritisation of cases for treatment.
  • Support and lead the team to develop comprehensive care plans, with measurable outcomes, including advice or education to other clinical staff and care givers.
  • Ensure the team involves patients, cares and relatives in the planning and delivery of care

Working for our organisation

The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.

From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.

The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.

Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:

  • CARE that is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
  • ​​​​​​SAFETY that is of the highest standards
  • COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
  • SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
  • PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients

Our achievements include:

  • Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
  • Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
  • Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits. Accessible version available upon request.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

  • Assess, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of evidence-based nursing care.
  • Provide expert advice and clinical practice.
  • Provide specialist education and training to others.
  • Work collaboratively and co-operatively with clinical colleagues to develop services and high quality of care delivered.
  • Lead the development of clinical services within the specialist field.
  • Providing leadership to specialist nursing team in the provision of first contact assessments, diagnosis, and comprehensive assessments. 
  • Triage more complex/advanced conditions where more specialist treatment is required to appropriate nursing staff.
  • Manage an agreed patient caseload, when the diagnosis may be uncertain, according to own advanced clinical judgement and skills.
  • Order/undertake, interpret, and act upon diagnostic tests and investigations.
  • To carry out the relevant, appropriate respiratory clinical examination(s).  Identify, assess and triage patients ensuring smooth transition to other services as appropriate.
  • As required highly undertake specialist procedures and lead on clinical pathways which may include making clinical judgement on the prioritisation of cases for treatment.
  • Support and lead the team to develop comprehensive care plans, with measurable outcomes, including advice or education to other clinical staff and care givers.
  • Ensure the team involves patients, cares and relatives in the planning and delivery of care.
  • Act as a highly autonomous practitioner, with minimal supervision, exercising judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical care.
  • Ensure own and team compliance with any specific regulations for example: Quality Surveillance Programme, drug administration, record keeping and data collection within own area of work.
  • Develop protocols for nurse led clinics, ensuring that outcomes are evaluated, and activity monitored.
  • Initiate medication/treatment reviews independently within area of work.
  • Manage complex cases and those for specialist investigations referring to MDT as appropriate.
  • Lead on the development of integrated care with primary and secondary care clinicians as required and other agencies involved with care delivery.
  • Ensure appropriate services are put in place to support management of condition at home, supported by the multidisciplinary team as required.
  • The post holder will abide by legal requirements and statutory rules relating to practice and promote and maintain standards of professional practice in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils (NMC) Code and Professional Conduct and Scope of Professional Practice.
  • Develop and maintain required specialist clinical skills in the assessment and treatment of patients within the area of responsibility
  • Responsibility to develop and deliver ‘Living with and beyond cancer’ patient support service
  • Responsibility to develop and deliver the Recovery package ‘as per NHS England requirements.
  • Provide specialist telephone advice       
  • Key worker role

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Ensure that all newly diagnosed lung cancer patients have a CNS present at diagnosis, regardless of their route of presentation.
  • Perform comprehensive holistic assessment of patient nursing needs, plan, implement and evaluate care delivery according to changing health care needs.
  • Ensure that all patients have access to all elements of the Recovery Package, including Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) at diagnosis as a minimum. Patients should also be offered a HNA at key points in their cancer pathway.
  • Review patients primarily who are admitted as an emergency to ensure their specialist expertise is available to this patient group. The post holder will also be required to review patients in the outpatient setting.  
  • Provide support to patients following treatment to identify any concerns they may have and as a minimum offer all patients a CNS appointment 6 weeks post treatment.
  • Introduce end of treatment summaries to ensure timely and robust communication between the lung team and Primary Care
  • Collect, collate, evaluate and report information, maintaining accurate patient records.
  • Involve patients and carers/ relatives in the planning and delivery of care and the development of services.
  • Monitor investigation results, initiating further assessment/ review and co-ordination of treatment pathway as required.
  • Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure discharge arrangements.
  • Establish and maintain effective communication with patients and carers/relatives and professionals across health and social services.
  • Contribute to the health and promotion agenda with the local health economy.
  • In keeping with the NMC “Code of Professional Conduct” and “Standards of Proficiency for Nurse and Midwife Prescribers”, keep up to date with best prescribing practice in relation to the management of conditions within his/her specialist area.
  • Attend Clinical Supervision sessions.
  • Attend Network meetings.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Administration supporting direct patient care/MDT preparation/follow up
  • Dictating and signing letters
  • Requesting appointments for patients
  • Processing Clinical Outcome sheets
  • Updating Somerset Cancer Registry
  • Report Writing
  • Presentations
  • Macmillan Service Reviews
  • Address issues raised by remote follow up clinic service
  • Patient experience assessment/improvement advocates

 TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Identify learning needs, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of education to meet identified needs.
  • Participate in the education of pre and post registered nurses, medical staff, AHP’s, patients and carers and participate in curriculum development where appropriate.
  • Address specific health targets e.g. CHI, NICE Guidance, NSF related to own are of practice through education.
  • Ensure own compliance and compliance of others with regarding mandatory training and PREP requirements.

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Provide specialist, expert clinical knowledge to clinical colleagues, patients and carers/relatives.
  • Evaluate service delivery against key performance targets, National Quality Measures, identify areas for improvement and initiate change.
  • Ensure the effective and efficient use of physical and financial resources; make suggestions regarding supplies and equipment.
  • Collect, collate and report activity data to key stakeholders, producing regular formal reports.

RESEARCH & AUDIT

  • Develop a mechanism for measuring the impact of this post to support emergency/inpatients on patient experience.
  • Identify need for, participate and undertake, research, clinical audit, benchmarking and equipment trials, in order to improve effectiveness of patient care.
  • Disseminate research and audit findings through presentation to professional groups and publication.
  • Responsible for the development and implementation of policies, procedures and guidelines relevant to own area of work.
  • Promote patient and public involvement activities in the specialist area, leading to service improvement.
  • Promote people’s equality, diversity and rights

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • NMC registration on Part 1 of the Register
  • Continued professional development at degree or MSC level
  • Teaching ENB 998 / mentorship
  • Completed Clinical Examination +/- Clinical diagnostics – (Annexe 21)
Desirable criteria
  • Speciality Related Course (ENB)
  • Communication skills training (Example Advanced Comms)
  • Completed Macmillan Explore

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant years working (Within speciality specific or cancer related area patients)
  • Knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of Lung Cancer
  • Experience of caring for patients with Lung Cancer
  • Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal and communication skills
  • Demonstrates an understanding of the National agenda for cancer, knowledge of quality standards, NICE Guidance, CQC
  • Knowledge of current clinical and nursing research
  • Evidence of knowledge of appropriate diagnostic tests and investigations, interpret results and take actions as appropriate
  • Understanding of the Recovery package
  • Understanding of the Key Worker
Desirable criteria
  • Substantial years post registration
  • Experience in developing clinical pathways and / or protocols
  • Ability to conduct and evaluate patient experience surveys
  • Understanding of Macmillan priorities and role of Macmillan as a partner organisation

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Time management and organisational skills
  • Experience of multi-disciplinary team working
  • Ability to facilitate an education programme
  • Willing to undertake nurse led follow up clinics
  • Willing to develop skills to undertake advanced practice invasive procedures
Desirable criteria
  • IT Skills
  • Presentation Skills

Other

Essential criteria
  • Car owner/supported driver
  • A strong commitment to openness, honest and inclusiveness
  • Flexible approach to work
  • Will to work both autonomously and as part of an MDT to deliver high quality clinical care

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyJob share policyAge positiveDisability confident leaderHSJ Best places to workMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Care quality commission - OutstandingStep into healthDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Melanie Barron
Job title
Macmillan Lung Cancer Nurse Specialist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01704 704653