Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a Band 8a Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Clinical Research within the GI and Lymphoma team. The post holder will be working with the multi-disciplinary team in the GI and Lymphoma unit at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in Sutton and Chelsea. We are a highly regarded busy multidisciplinary team performing both clinical and research work and are seen as pioneers in managing GI and Lymphoma treatment. The ANPR is a highly experienced oncology nurse who will work autonomously or with medical colleagues, demonstrating highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in the diagnosis and management of cancer research participants. The ANPR will work as an integral member of the research multidisciplinary team to ensure appropriate research and service requirements are achieved in line with both the RMH divisional and Trust level strategies.

The successful applicant should have a flexible approach to their duties and the ability to work both as part of the team as well as independently. In addition; excellent communication, administrative and IT skills and being supportive and open to new initiatives are particularly valued by the team.

What’s in it for you?

• Opportunities to develop your clinical and research skills.
• Continuous on-going learning with internal and external courses available.
• Flexible working arrangements available.
• Working as a highly valued member of the MDT.

Main duties of the job

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Clinical Research (ANPR) post provides an exciting opportunity to expand the research nurse role in line with other established advanced nursing roles both within the RMH Trust, nationally and internationally. The ANPR is a highly experienced oncology nurse who will work autonomously or with medical colleagues, demonstrating highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in the diagnosis and management of cancer research participants. Complex clinical management, strategic planning, education, research and audit are key components of the role in line with the national framework for advanced clinical practice. The post holder will exercise advanced clinical expertise, levels of judgement, discretion and safe clinical decision making in clinical care through physical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of research participants in accordance with regulatory frameworks, policy and laws governing clinical trials. The ANPR will work closely with principal and co-investigators and other members of the research team and, where appropriate, take on the sub-investigator role for clinical trials as delegated by the principal investigator and with the approval of the individual trial sponsors. There may also be a requirement to care for non-trial patients as directed by the clinical lead, to meet the demands of an expanding oncology service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification

• To be professionally and legally accountable for all work undertaken and to practice at an advanced level of professional autonomy and accountability that is within national guidelines, Royal Marsden Trust policies, GCP and NMC Codes of Conduct.
• To act as a key worker to patients with cancer, providing continuity throughout the patient journey, both within the Royal Marsden and the wider referral network.
• To perform health assessments including obtaining a clinical history, conducting the physical examination and assessment of psychological well-being.
• To counsel patients, explain the rationale for clinical trials as well as the structure and the expectations required of patients entering clinical trials.
• To have knowledge and understanding of alternative non-trial treatments, facilitating the informed consent process.
• To consent patients to clinical trials, including non-CTIMP trials and selected CTIMP trials as delegated by the Principal Investigator and with the approval of the trial sponsor.
• To have adequate knowledge of trial and other supportive drugs pharmacology and be aware of possible drug interactions and contraindications, paying close attention to the inclusion and exclusion criteria for clinical trials.
• To review the inclusion and exclusion criteria for clinical trials, in conjunction with the principal and co-investigators, to ensure that patients entering clinical trials are eligible to do so.
• To prescribe trial drugs and supportive medications according to your approved scope of practice, as delegated by the Principal Investigator, with appropriate permission of the trial sponsor and in accordance with the clinical trial protocols, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) Single Competency Framework for All Prescribers (2018), the BNF and the RMH non-medical prescribing policy.
• To assess patients for treatment toxicities and grade appropriately according to the Common Toxicity Criteria.

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.