Acute Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a passionate individual to join an innovative role developed in partnership between King's College Hospital and Macmillan Cancer Support. This role was created as part of a collaborative programme of service improvement, aimed at ensuring people affected by cancer receive an outstanding experience of care when they present acutely unwell.

Following a redesign of the Acute Oncology Service and expansion of the team, we are seeking an enthusiastic nurse to contribute to the continued development of this dynamic service and team.

A key focus is ensuring that patients receive timely specialist oncology assessment and input, facilitating appropriate management and investigation. The service aims to prevent avoidable hospital admission where appropriate, reduce inpatient length of stay and support the assessment and management of patients within an ambulatory or Same Day Emergency Care setting.

The AOS CNS will work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary Acute Oncology Team and alongside admitting clinical teams, providing expert advice and specialist clinical expertise. The post holder will ensure that patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time, and that decisions regarding their treatment and ongoing management are made promptly and effectively.

Main duties of the job

Ensure patients access the right care, at the right time through provision of high-quality Acute Oncology specialist nursing care, expert clinical assessment, and advice relating to Systemic anticancer treatment toxicities and cancer-related complications.

Provide expert guidance on the assessment, investigation, and management of patients with newly diagnosed, suspected or undiagnosed malignancy, supporting timely access to appropriate diagnostic and treatment pathways.

Act as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team in supporting patients with malignancy of unknown origin ensuring effective communication, care coordination and timely progression through diagnostic pathways.

Ensure patients and their families are fully informed and supported by providing comprehensive clinical, emotional, psychological and social assessment, alongside ongoing support throughout the acute phase of the patients pathway.

Support acute oncology ambulatory care pathways with management of symptomatic patients and post-ED reviews, with the aim of reducing avoidable hospital admissions and improving patient experience.

Participate in daily acute oncology ward rounds, ensuring the delivery of timely and appropriate care plans, facilitating investigations, expediting clinical decision-making, and supporting prompt referral to specialist palliative care services where appropriate.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Fully comply with the Trust Cancer CNS Standing Operational Policy, Acute Oncology Operational Policy and the Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression operational policy.
• Assist in the delivery of an advanced specialist nursing service for people with specialists needs.
• Provide specialist nursing advice and support to patients, their families and other healthcare professionals following diagnosis and through treatment and where applicable onward referral for end of life care.
• Ensure continuity of a high standard of evidence based nursing care, assessing health, health related and holistic needs of patients, their families and other carers by identifying and initiating appropriate steps for effective care. This can include: Managing patient caseload Ordering diagnostic tests and being able to interpret results and take appropriate actions Making and receiving referrals Support the team and organisation in delivering innovative services to support patient access to the team and early diagnoses Assessing and meeting patients on going care, health and wellbeing needs and develop a care plan and action referrals as a result.
• Managing patient caseload
• Ordering diagnostic tests and being able to interpret results and take appropriate actions
• Making and receiving referrals
• Support the team and organisation in delivering innovative services to support patient access to the team and early diagnoses
• Assessing and meeting patients on going care, health and wellbeing needs and develop a care plan and action referrals as a result.
• Ensure clear documentation in the patient electronic records
• Be actively involved in in-patient care, aliasing with ward staff to ensure high quality nursing care
• Attend A&E for assessment of patients with potential AOS /CUP diagnoses and to offer key worker point of contact to oversee their care
• Participate in the upper GI MDT which is the designated as the local CUP MDT and coordinate with the MDT coordinator and wider MDT to support the timely diagnostic pathway for patients
• Participate in the identification and development of clinical protocols and strategies to enhance both the continuity and standard of specialist care whilst ensuring equity of access to the service
• Work within and across multi-professional teams and draw on the expertise of all members (including health and social care) to support and meet the person’s needs and best interests to optimise the integration of their care.
• Establish and maintain effective communication to ensure collaborative working with other professionals and agencies (e.g. members of the MDT, CNS, specialist palliative care, hospice, community palliative care teams, primary care, AHP, cancer centre, social services) to ensure seamless, streamlined patient care.
• Manage and escalate medical emergencies appropriately.
• Identify and act appropriately on red flags.
• Work collaboratively with patients and admitting clinical teams to agree a way forward, including shared decision making and personalised care and support planning.
• Manage medical complexity.
• Complete episodes of care which may include referral for further assessment, treatment and care appropriately.
• Work with people and where appropriate, carers, to access appropriate treatment, diagnostics, care and support within the context of individuals’ preferences, priorities and needs.
• Provide continuity of care in collaboration with the person, considering all of their physical, mental and psychosocial challenges.
• Use interactions with each person to facilitate and enable changes in behaviour that can have a positive impact on the person’s health and wellbeing.

Education and Training

• Ensure all patients are fully informed of the risks and benefits of proposed procedures/treatments, contributing to the process of obtaining informed consent
• Produce and provide all patients with relevant and accessible written information regarding their treatment in accordance with Trust Standards
• Participate in service appropriate and Trust wide audits
• Actively participate in education events provided by the Trust and the cancer alliance
• Attend meetings and conferences as appropriate ensuring that you are fully conversant with current issues within the Trust, the cancer alliance and nationally
• Support the development and implementation of policies, procedures and guidelines for the AOS, in conjunction with the Clinical lead for AOS and Lead Nurse for Cancer.
• Ensuring the Acute Oncology Service communication links, pathways and methods of referral between primary, secondary and tertiarycare and specialist services including palliative care is readily available to staff.
• Support the promotion of the AOS across the trust, into primary, secondary and tertiary care working with the trusts communication departments and cancer information centres and local contacts.
• Actively participate in service delivery against agreed key performance targets, National Quality Measures, identify areas for improvement and initiate change.
• Support the development of new initiatives where possible to run a cost effective, timely service.
• Attend appropriate SEL ACN AOS specific delivery groups, projects and initiatives.
• Be a core member of the local CUP MDM; work closely with GSTT CUP MDM (via tele link or in person if required).
• Proactively participate in the prevention and investigation of complaints and take constructive action to change practice when necessary.
• Proactively manage risk and be familiar with risk management processes and escalation procedures.
• Deliver on going AOS teaching at the trust doctors induction; ED and acute assessment units medical and nursing staff
• Participate in the cancer nurses training programme delivering AOS specific training for ward nurses; chemotherapy team and community nursing team
• Provide expert advice and education to nurses, medical staff and AHP’s with particular focus on delivery of AOS in challenged areas or when concerns arises.
• Support and participate in programmes of care aimed at empowering patients/carers to manage complications of treatment or disease.
• Disseminate expert knowledge and support nursing and medical staff by providing placement experience, giving insight into specialist role

Clinical Governance, Quality and Evaluation of Patient Experience

• Work with the Lead AOS nurse, Clinical Lead and Senior Head of Nursing for Cancer & Haematology on clinical governance and quality assurance across the trust for all aspects of Acute Oncology nursing services.
• Support the programme of ongoing audits and patient evaluation surveys for the Acute Oncology Service, in line with service objectives, Trust key performance indicators, ACN, Acute Oncology Group audits and the Cancer peer review process.
• Collect, collate and report activity data. Present the findings and recommendation from audits results to relevant governance committees as requested on regular basis.
• Actively engage service users through the facilitation of user groups and open days in the planning and delivery of care and development of services.
• Promote people’s equality, diversity and rights.
• Undertake regular audits of his/her nurse-led activities
• Maintaining accurate patient records and effective ways of communication outside the organisation

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.