Neuro-oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job overview

Kings’ College Hospital Neuro-oncology service covers a catchment of 4.1 million people from South Eats London and Kent. The service treats patients throughout their diagnosis from presentation to surgery, ongoing oncology treatment and recurrence. We treat both primary and metastatic brain tumours. An increasing number of patients are being treated with secondary tumours in the brain. This post holder will be responsible for managing this case load of patients. This will be done with support from the rest of the CNS team. The role involves seeing the patients in the pre-assessment clinic with a member of the neurosurgical team, supporting them throughout their surgical pathway or their treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery. Communication is key for this patient group to ensure seamless care and the post holder will need to have excellent communication skills. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring the primary team are aware of their treatment and that they are referred back to their care when appropriate.

It is a diverse and interesting role, working closely within the neuro-oncology multi-disciplinary team. You will be joining a well established and supportive neuro-oncology CNS team. A background in AOS, oncology or neurosurgery is desirable.

Please do get in touch to arrange an informal visit or to ask any questions and find out more. Our contact number is 07929854244 or email Vicky Hurwitz Nurse consultant on [email protected].

Main duties of the job

• To assist in the delivery of an advanced specialist nursing service for people with neuro-oncology needs
• To provide specialist 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:

• 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 records
• To be actively involved in in-patient care, liaising with ward staff to ensure high quality nursing care

• Managing a patient caseload
• Ordering diagnostic tests
• Making and receiving referrals
• Admitting and discharging patients for specified conditions and within agreed protocols
• Facilitating outpatient clinics
• Delivering the nurse-led results clinic
• Participating in the delivery of the radiotherapy telephone follow up clinic

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Summary

• ·   To work as an advanced practitioner and effectively deliver an expert nursing service within the specialist area
• ·   To manage a caseload of patients/clients
• ·   To act as the key worker for a case load of patients
• ·   To ensure that patients and their families are fully informed and supported by providing clinical and social support
• ·   To assist in the development of evidence based clinical nursing practice in line with current research and guidelines
• ·   To establish clear lines of communication within the specialty team to ensure cohesive multidisciplinary management of patients
• ·   To link with healthcare teams in order to increase knowledge and facilitate the care of this group of people in the community.
• ·   To provide support to the associate nurse specialist.

Key Working Relationships

The post holder will work closely with the other neuro-oncology clinical nurse specialist in the team. The Senior neuro-oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist will be their line manager and they will be accountable to the Neuro-oncology Nurse Consultant. The post holder is a core member of the Neuro-oncology multi-disciplinary team. They will meet weekly with the core and extended team members. The post holder will work cross site with the oncologists at Guys Hospital who specialise in Neuro-oncology. They will liaise with Allied health professionals form physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy as well as neuropsychology, oncology psychology and neurology.

The post holder will form good links and communication between referring teams for the brain metastases patients to ensure their pathway runs without complication. The post holder will attend the monthly cancer professionals forum. They will work closely with the neurosurgery ward nurses as well as the wards where patients are referred from at Kings College Hospital.

Organisation Structure Chart

The neuro-oncology service sits under neurosurgery as part of neurosciences. The Head of Nursing for Neurosurgery manages the Neuro-oncology Nurse Consultant who in turn manages the Senior Neuro-oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist. The post holder will be managed by the Senior neuro-oncology CNS and supported by both the Nurse Consultant and Head of Nursing where required.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities:

• To assist in the delivery of an advanced specialist nursing service for people with specialist needs

• To provide specialist 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:

• 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 records
• To be actively involved in in-patient care, liaising with ward staff to ensure high quality nursing care
• To attend out-patients, 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 attend and present patient’s histories at the weekly MDT meetings ensuring all patients are represented
• To feedback the MDT outcomes to the referrers with the MDT co-ordinator
• To deliver a seamless service through the development of enhanced Multidisciplinary team (MDT) processes and communication
• To 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
• To participate in the annual review process of operational policies in accordance with national standards
• To attend the quarterly service improvement meetings, participating where appropriate
• To ensure all care is given in accordance with agreed protocols.
• To work with key staff members to maintain nurse led pre-assessment/assessment and out patient follow-up services. Providing detailed baseline patient assessment and education and support to patients and their families
• To regularly review those clinical notes of patients requiring imminent admission, ensuring all assessments, diagnostic investigation and test results are up-to-date and in place to ensure a smooth admission process
• To liaise with the discharge coordinator and ward staff to ensure appropriate and timely discharge/follow-up arrangement in place for patients
• To 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 participate in the development of appropriate patient group directives to facilitate/enhance the discharge process
• To participate in relevant fora at Care Group, Trust or PCG/PCT Level to represent the service perspectiv

• Managing a patient caseload
• Ordering diagnostic tests
• Making and receiving referrals
• Admitting and discharging patients for specified conditions and within agreed protocols
• Facilitating outpatient clinics
• Delivering the nurse-led results clinic
• Participating in the delivery of the radiotherapy telephone follow up clinic

Education, training and development:

• To ensure all patients are fully informed of the risks and benefits of proposed procedures / treatments, contributing to the process of securing informed consent
• To produce and provide all patients with relevant and accessible written information regarding their treatment in accordance with Trust standards
• To supervise and participate in the delivery of programmes of education and training according to the identified needs of clients, carers and other involved in their care
• To work with other clinical staff to identify knowledge gaps in relation to specialist patients and ensure staff are appropriately educated
• To contribute to the development of nursing practice within the team. Additionally, where appropriate, to act as a practice supervisor to Trust and honorary contract employees.
• To actively participate in educational events provided by the Trust and primary care sector.
• To attend meetings and conferences as appropriate ensuring that you are fully conversant with current issues both within the Trust and within the specialist services locally and nationally.

Research and Development:

• To promote and facilitate evidence based practice and clinical audit within the Trust, raising the profile and enhancing the contribution of nursing to patient care and informing business and service development plans.
• To participate in and assist with any appropriate/relevant Trust approved research projects conducted within the department.
• To promote nursing research and evidenced based practice relevant to the specialit

Communication and representation:

• To liaise effectively with all other disciplines within the Trust and at local level.
• To participate in the management of change to improve standards and communication links from Acute Trusts through to Primary Care.
• To actively contribute to any relevant initiatives within the care group and provide support to the lead specialist nurse and Heads of Nursing.
• To contribute positively to the leadership of nursing within the care group acting as an effective role model.
• To comply with measures to actively manage and reduce risk to patients. Ensuring the formal reporting and recording of adverse incidents in line with Trust policy
• Network with the team of clinical nurse specialists within the Trust to evaluate, develop and promote the specialist-nursing role
• To utilise and maintain information systems to aid audit and to provide regular activity analysis reports
• Maintain contemporaneous and accurate treatment records, submitting relevant statistics, reports and activity data as requested. To participate in the evaluation of the service in terms of clinical effectiveness, clinical excellence and value for money
• To ensure the best use of available resources is used within agreed budget to provide a cost effective service.
• To forge effective links within primary, secondary and tertiary care to ensure effective communication
• Ensures compliance with the Trust's Equality and Diversity Policy, supporting the delivery of the Trusts Race Equality Scheme and the Trust's duty to positively promote race equality and equality of opportunity for disabled people ensuring services are responsive to the needs of equality groups.
• To be working towards higher degree or equivalent
• Willingness to work toward attaining a specialist qualification in neuro-oncology