Macmillan Neuro-oncology CNS

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced cancer nurse to work as part of a job share arrangement, leading and developing the Macmillan Neuro Oncology Cancer nursing service in line with national directives.

The post holder will be a core member of the Neuro-Oncology cancer multi-disciplinary team, coordinating the patients’ pathway, acting as the main point of contact, providing specialist information, advice, and support from the point of diagnosis in line with national directives.

The post holder will be responsible for implementing the key elements of personalised care, ensuring patients are offered a Holistic Needs Assessment/Care Planning at the point of diagnosis line with national directives, have access to an End of Treatment Summaries after each modality of treatment and health and wellbeing to meet their individual needs.

Being able to act as an independent prescriber or willingness to undertake is a requirement of the role.

This role is aligned to the national ACCEND (Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development) framework. The post holder will develop and maintain core cancer capabilities at the appropriate level of practice and engage in ACCEND‑aligned education, training and professional development as part of ongoing appraisal and career progression.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be a core member of the neuro-oncology multidisciplinary team, responsible for the provision of high quality, patient centred care; ensuring patients/carers diagnosed with a brain tumour have access to expert information, advice and support from the point of suspicion of cancer

The post holder will act as the main point of contact, using advance communication skills to co-ordinate the patients’ pathway liaising with tertiary centres, members of the MDT, primary care and the voluntary sector to ensure a seamless service for patients and their families.

Responsible for implementing personalised care for patients living with a brain tumour ensuring patients have an HNA/Care Planning at the point of diagnosis in line with national directives, access to an End of treatment Summary and to health and wellbeing opportunities to meet their individual needs

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To undertake a comprehensive holistic assessment of patient’s needs (HNA) at the point of diagnosis in line with National directives
• To agree a plan of care in consultation with the patient/family, ensuring a written copy is available for the patient.
• To attend outpatient consultations, acting as the patient’s advocate, communicating complex information with patients and their families
• To review inpatients admitted with symptoms related to their disease/treatment, influencing management options and liaising with professionals across primary and secondary care to ensure safe effective discharge from hospital
• To attend the weekly specialist multidisciplinary team meeting, contributing to the discussion, providing expert nursing opinion on the patient’s assessment and care and advocating for the patient and family
• To screen patients for psychological distress using a recognised tool
• To be skilled in providing Level 2 psychological support for patients and their carers, referring patients with complex needs to the Macmillan Clinical Psychologist.
• To provide specialist advice on the management of steroids, ensuring the dose is altered to meet the changing neurological symptoms of the patient
• To provide specialist support for patients and their families, ensuring their physical, psychological, social, emotional and spiritual needs are identified and met.
• To lead on complex communication issues and co-ordinate the patient’s pathway acting as the main point of contact or responsible for nominating a main point of contact for the patient depending on their individual needs.
• To identify and meet the specialist informational needs utilising the local Macmillan Information Centre, referring patients/carers to the dedicated Cancer You Tube Channel to support self-management strategies.
• To be skilled in identifying and addressing the palliative care needs of patients and their families, referring patients with complex needs to the Specialist Palliative Care Team
• To be skilled in identifying AMBER patents working with the multidisciplinary team to agree ceiling of intervention.
• To be skilled in identifying the patient’s Preferred Place of Care at the appropriate point in the illness experience, communicating very sensitive information to patients/carers ensuing they have the opportunity to discuss their choice of where they wish to die where possible.
• Support the generation of an “End of Treatment Summary” for patients following each modality of treatment, ensuring their ongoing needs are identified and addressed.
• To respond to EAU alerts for patients with a brain tumour providing specialist information and support, coordinating their pathway from the point of admission
• To lead the development of specialist Health & Wellbeing events for patients living with a brain tumour, ensuring they are tailored to meet their individual needs
• To have an awareness of the dedicated Maggie’s programs and sign post patients/carers to the Maggie Cancer Centre
• To use advanced communication skills to support patients in the development of an Advance Care Plan, identifying their preferences and wishes
• To initiate proactive telephone support for patients in the palliative stage of their disease, identifying new or progression of symptoms providing specialist advice and support
• To promote a culture that supports and enables self-management strategies.
• Utilise patient/carer experience feedback to drive innovation and change.
• To participate in the formal review process and plan future personal development and competencies to be achieved, actively engaging with the learning and development opportunities offered by Macmillan.
• To act as a specialist resource for healthcare professionals relating to brain tumours, providing expert nursing advice and support
• To promote collaborative working relationships and effective communication between all members of the neuro-oncology multidisciplinary team and across different boundaries of care
• To act as a role model demonstrating high standards of holistic care, providing clinical leadership in brain tumours
• To act as an independent nurse prescriber
• To run dedicated nurse-led clinics, reviewing patients receiving oncology treatment, escalating new symptoms or deterioration in condition to the Clinical Oncologist
• To order diagnostic tests to support the patient pathway
• To support the development of the Band 6 Macmillan Nurse, undertaking annual appraisals and objective setting
• To become acquainted with the local and regional pathways for patients with a brain tumour including knowledge of contact points for referral and advice.
• Ensure that people affected by cancer are aware that they are interacting with a Macmillan Professional and know the full range of resources and services available through Macmillan.
• To demonstrate advanced practice in planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care, documenting the outcomes of consultations in the hospital notes and on the Somerset Register.
• To identity own personal development needs to work at specialist level and take appropriate action to ensure that these are met, actively engaging with the learning and development opportunities offered through the national ACCEND program.
• To work towards achieving the competencies outlined in the National ACCEND Framework
• Demonstrate specialist skills in conflict resolution and negotiation skills when dealing with difficult or challenging situations
• To ensure the Macmillan service is development in line with National directives related to cancer care.
• To collect activity data to demonstrate the effectiveness of the specialist nursing service.
• To actively seek feedback from patients/carers to inform service developments
• To lead the development of policies and clinical guidelines to enhance the specialist nursing service in line with national directives
• To promote the Macmillan neuro-oncology specialist nursing service through conferences and written papers
• To influence decisions regarding service delivery through participation in local, regional and national meetings
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Macmillan Neuro-oncology service, implementing change to enhance the patient/carer experience
• To identify areas of practice this may be expanded to promote optimal care and the best outcomes for patients
• To initiate and be actively involved in nursing research/audit
• To promote best practice ensuring care in evidence based
• To demonstrate knowledge of the clinical trials for patients living with a brain tumour

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.