Nurse band 6

Job overview

Lymphoedema Practitioner – Part-Time (3.5 Days Per Week) Are you passionate about helping people manage long-term conditions and make a real difference in their quality of life? Join our dedicated team as a Lymphoedema Practitioner at the Royal Surrey. This part-time role (3.5 days per week) offers the opportunity to support patients in managing lymphoedema, empowering them to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. No previous experience in lymphoedema care? No problem! Full training will be provided to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need.

The lymphoedema clinics are held at The Beacon Centre at the Royal Surrey, Woking community hospital, a Staines GP surgery, Haslemere Hospital, and Farnham hospital, the service is looking in particular for an clinician to cover the Woking and Staines sites, the Service also does home visits.

Main duties of the job

The Royal Surrey Foundation Trust (RSFT) is a clinically led NHS trust providing joined up care by bridging the gap between hospital and community services. Our compassionate, caring and friendly colleagues make up our Royal Surrey family and are at the heart of what we do. We all have a passion for learning, continuous improvement and excelling together through innovation, research and development. Royal Surrey Foundation Trust are working in partnership with Procare Health (a Federation for GP practices in Guildford and Waverley) providing adult community health services. The Lymphoedema service work very closely with district nurses, GPs, social care, local hospitals, other specialist nurses, therapists and others to help individuals manage their own conditions, maintain their independence and remain at home wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To support and assist in the management of the community Lymphoedema Service for Guildford and Waverley.  To use expert knowledge to diagnosis lymphoedema and chronic oedema, identify underlying cause, implement treatment, follow-up and review treatments, promote self-management regime for patients. To work as an autonomous practitioner and effectively co-ordinate and deliver a highly specialised service within the field of Lymphoedema.  To support in raising awareness of lymphoedema for all clinical staff.  To support in delivery of training for chronic oedema prevention and management for all clinical staff across the community division.  To facilitate audits and research within the field of lymphoedema

Clinical Responsibilities

To use knowledge and expertise in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care for patients with lymphoedema

Contribute to the development of nurse/allied health professional led services in order to meet service demand within the specialty of lymphoedema  Collaborates and networks with all members of the multi-professional and multi disciplinary team on the provision of patient care. Participates in all discussions that are required for high quality, timely and accurate patient assessment and care planning for adults with lymphoedema. To assess the needs of the patient and work in partnership with individuals to agree the most appropriate plan of care for them Ensure the symptom control of palliative lymphoedema in patients with advanced disease is managed and fully understood by families and health care professionals involved in care, providing specialist information, education, practical and emotional support as required. To communicate information about diagnosis of lymphoedema and outcomes of treatment.  With the support of the Team Lead to act as an autonomous practitioner managing own caseload, delivering care in line with National Guidance, receiving and making direct referrals.                                                                             To provide skilled assessment of patients referred to the lymphoedema service determining the clinical diagnosis and treatment pathway. To implement appropriate care to obtain the best results in the improvement of the condition, adjusting the clinical management to suit the patient’s needs/tolerance and managing complex and emotive clinical scenarios. To educate patients in the long-term management of their lymphoedema, monitoring as required and empowering the patient to maintain compliance with treatment programmes and care of their swollen limb/area, in order that they can achieve their optimum quality of life. To provide skilled practice in a range of assessment and treatments to manage lymphoedema, including skin care, exercise, measurement for and prescription of compression hosiery, self lymphatic drainage and manual lymphatic drainage. To provide psychological and emotional support for patients and their carers/ families.

Professional Responsibilities

To adhere to the Professional Conduct and be wholly accountable for his/her practice. To actively seek to raise the profile of Nurse-led /AHP led services within Royal Surrey Foundations Trust community services, by publication, research and teaching. To behave in a professional manner and act as a role model for other staff at all times Contribute to effective ethical decision making relevant to lymphoedema practice.  Establish and maintain contact with professional bodies at local, national and international level.