Clinical Nurse Specialist - Breast Cancer

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced nurse to provide maternity leave cover for a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Breast Cancer Care. We work within a  friendly multi professional team at King’s College Hospital . As a breast care nurse you will be supporting patients from diagnosis, throughout both surgical and oncological treatment modalities through to survivorship. You will offer patients information, education, and psychological support. You will act as an autonomous practitioner in nurse led surgical, health and wellbeing, and stratified follow up clinics.

You will need to display expert communication skills, and offer care in a kind and compassionate manner. You will need to have cared for breast cancer patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. You will have the ability to demonstrate your knowledge of breast cancer, its treatments and side effects.

The post will offer you the support of a patient focused team in which you will be encouraged to develop your knowledge and skills. You will have the opportunity to work alongside other colleagues in facilitating our nurse led patient support group.

Main duties of the job

• To further develop the breast cancer service (including optimizing patient pathways, improving the patient experience, developing proactive support models for patients).
• To assist in the facilitation of the ongoing breast cancer support groups
• To independently manage a caseload of patients/clients.
• To ensure that patients and their families are fully informed and supported by providing clinical and social support.
• To lead the development of evidence based clinical nursing practice in line with current research and guidelines.
• To establish clear lines of communication with primary healthcare teams in order to increase knowledge and facilitate the care of this group of people in the community.
• To work with the other members of the breast care nursing team, and to provide cross cover when required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Practice

• To provide and manage an expert specialist nursing service for people with specialist needs
• To provide expert nursing advice and support to patients, their families and other healthcare professionals following diagnosis and through treatment
• To ensure continuity of a high standard of evidence based nursing care, assessing health, health related and nursing needs of patients, their families and other carers by identifying and initiating appropriate steps for effective care. This can include: Managing a patient caseload Ordering diagnostic tests Making and receiving referrals Admitting and discharging patients for specified conditions and within agreed protocols Running clinics Prescribing medicines and treatments
• Managing a patient caseload
• Ordering diagnostic tests
• Making and receiving referrals
• Admitting and discharging patients for specified conditions and within agreed protocols
• Running clinics
• Prescribing medicines and treatments
• To accept responsibility for own patient caseload, ensuring all patients have an accurate plan of care, which reflects the assessment undertaken and incorporates the issues and recommendations made ensuring clear documentation in the patient’s record and hand held records
• To be actively involved in inpatient care, liaising with ward staff to ensure high quality nursing care
• Where appropriate to lead nurse led outpatient services ensuring nurse consultation with all newly diagnosed patients
• To follow-up patients as appropriate and ensure all relevant information is available to enable patients to make an informed choice about their treatment.
• To co-ordinate a seamless service through the development of enhanced Multidisciplinary team (MDT) processes and communication.
• To lead 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.
• To ensure operational policies are reviewed annually in accordance with national standards
• To ensure all care is given in accordance with agreed protocols.
• To liaise with the ward staff to ensure appropriate and timely discharge/follow-up arrangement in place for patients.
• To identify, implement and maintain a suitable mechanism for MDT referrals to the Clinical Nurse Specialists.
• To work with the MDT to develop, implement and evaluate integrated care pathways and systems of MDT documentation.
• To liaise with local community, social services, paramedics and voluntary organisations in order to develop existing services for clients, carers and health professional.
• To actively involve service users in providing feedback of their experience of the current service and suggestions for improvements.
• To lead on the development of appropriate patient group directive to facilitate/enhance the discharge process.
• To participate in relevant fora at Divisional, Trust or PCG/PCT or National/International Level to represent the service perspective.