Job overview

This is a rare opportunity for a professional and enthusiastic Nurse Specialist to join the Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry and work in the rapidly expanding field of cellular therapies. The WBMDR is part of the Welsh Blood Service based at a purpose-built facility in Pontyclun to the west of Cardiff. Each year we facilitate the provision of cellular therapy products to patients in the UK and overseas. Cellular therapies have become a curative measure for blood cancer and haematological disorders. Your essential role will directly contribute to saving and improving peoples' lives. Supporting donors through this process can be very rewarding. Your specialist nursing skills can positively impact the donor experience as well as the lives of patients and their families.

Stem Cell transplantation is a challenging but highly fulfilling field and at the WBMDR we are very passionate and proud of the role we play working with donors and patients across the world. As a Nurse Specialist in Stem Cell donation, you will work with the WBMDR nursing and coordination team to manage the donation pathway of stem cell donors from initial donor contact, medical assessment, stem cell collection, delivery, and post donation assessment. As such, you will require a sound knowledge of the donation and collection processes, risks and outcomes. You will be required to fully support each donor throughout the donation process including counselling each donor to obtain informed consent for donation.

Main duties of the job

The WBMDR manages a number of collection centres and you will be required to actively participate in the collection procedures for PBSC apheresis and bone marrow via needle aspiration. Experience in stem cell collection via apheresis is highly desirable however full training will be provided. The WBMDR also collect stem cells via bone marrow harvest in an operating theatre environment and the ability and willingness to work in this environment is essential.

As the main point of clinical contact for each donor, you will require excellent communication and judgement skills. As you will manage multiple cases simultaneously, you must also have excellent organisation skills and prioritise your workload as deadlines can change at short notice depending on patient / donor needs.

The WBMDR operates an open working environment in order to encourage teamwork and collaboration; as such, you will need to be a team player with an enthusiastic, dynamic approach to working and a willingness to expand your skill and knowledge base in-line with the expanding needs of the service.

Working for our organisation

Here at Velindre University NHS Trust we are extremely proud of the specialist services we provide across the whole of Wales in our cutting-edge Velindre Cancer Centre and our award-winning Welsh Blood Service, as well as the expertise of our corporate functions that bring the two divisions together. We are also fortunate to host the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership and Health Technology Wales and have developed strong partnership working with these expert services. 

Formed in 1994, the Trust has a dedicated workforce that continuously strives to provide the key principles of prudent healthcare through a wide array of roles. We play a vital role in the communities we support and have ambitious plans for the future to continue to improve the services we deliver. We strive to maintain our core values in everything we do by being; accountable, bold, caring and dynamic, and ensuring the best possible care for our patients and donors.

At Velindre University NHS Trust we aim to foster a culture of discovery, collaboration, and continuous improvement.  We will achieve this by embedding research and innovation into everything we do, to deliver meaningful, measurable impact for our patients and communities.

If you want to work for an organisation that prides itself on making a real difference and offers exciting career opportunities then Velindre University NHS Trust is the place for you.

Visit our website to find out more https://velindre.nhs.wales/