Psychological Nurse Specialist

Job overview

We are excited to offer an opportunity for a Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) to join our Psycho-oncology Team at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. Our team includes psychiatrists, mental health nurses, a clinical psychologist, counsellors, and dedicated administrative staff—all working together to support oncology patients facing psychological challenges.

This is a permanent, full-time role (37.5 hours per week), with working hours from Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (excluding bank holidays). The successful candidate will provide psychological support to both inpatients and outpatients and will play an integral role in the continued development of our service.

We are looking for a nurse who is passionate about patient care, has excellent interpersonal skills, and can work effectively within a multidisciplinary team. Emotional resilience and the ability to manage complex and distressing situations in an oncology setting are essential.

While we are seeking candidates who meet the essential criteria, we also recognise that potential can take many forms. If you have a strong foundation in mental health nursing, excellent interpersonal skills, and emotional resilience, we are open to discussing a developmental opportunity to support your growth into the role.

We welcome applications from RMNs working at Band 6 and above who are eager to develop their skills and contribute to this rewarding and specialist area of mental health care.

Main duties of the job

In this role, you will manage your own caseload of patients, providing specialist psychological and mental health care within an oncology setting, supported by the psycho-oncology team, which includes psychiatrists, psychological specialist nurses, a psychologist, and counsellors. You will also oversee team operations and service coordination, contribute to service development, education, and mental health promotion, and participate in regular supervision and professional development opportunities. This role requires working effectively within a multidisciplinary team, demonstrating excellent communication skills and emotional resilience to support patients facing significant psychological challenges related to cancer.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical

1.         Perform comprehensive assessments of patients' mental health and psychological needs and plan, implement, and evaluate care delivery according to changing health care needs to ensure continuity of effective patient care.

2.          Perform   advanced   clinical   skills   in   psychological and mental health assessment, diagnosis, and interactions to enhance the patient experience.

3.          Provide guidance to nursing colleagues regarding the management of patients with specific mental health needs.

4.          Collect, collate, evaluate, and report information, maintaining accurate patient records in line with clinical governance and risk-management.

5.          Involve patients and cares/relatives   in the planning and delivery of care and development of services to enhance the patient/carer experience.

6.         Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure patient needs are met.

7.          Use advanced communication skills in a variety of settings.

8.          Monitor health, safety and security of self and others and promote best practice in the clinical area.

9.          Promote patient and public involvement activities in the specialist area, leading to service improvement.

Managerial

1.    Ensure the effective and efficient use of physical and financial resources in conjunction with finance and the service manager.

2.    Lead on the writing of protocols relevant to the Psychological Nurse Specialist role.

3.    Contribute to and coordinate the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and guidelines within the Trust in line with national guidance; and contribute to these activities at network and national level.

4.    Organize daily work schedule and off duty rotas ensuring appropriate and effective skill mix and deployment of staff appropriate to patient needs.

5.    Be aware of Health and Safety issues and ensure relevant risk assessments for the department are undertaken.

6.    Report and record all incidents and complaints according to the agreed policy, investigating promptly and compassionately.

7.    Ensure all existing Trust policies and procedures are adhered to and new ones are implemented as necessary.

8.    Report to Clinical Lead or DACN on clinical matters/activity and staff development.

Professional

• Highlight areas of improvement/development within the department and undertake relevant projects.
• Keep abreast of issues influencing the Trust both internally and externally and ensure senior colleagues and the team have a good understanding of the same.
• Undertake clinical supervision of health care professional colleagues on an individual or group basis.
• Be fully aware of the divisional objectives and the Trust’s corporate plan.
• Demonstrate a pleasant and approachable manner and help create and promote good working relationships.
• Show professional and courteous manner whilst practicing excellent communication skills at all levels.
• Show respect for members of the team and endorse the philosophy of giving mutual support.
• Being aware of one’s own limitations, maintain confidentiality and adherence to NMC Professional Code of Conduct
• Cooperate in own performance review by indicating learning goals and support needs.
• Actively seek mentorship / supervision to enable reflection and development within the role.
• Exercise effective leadership using sound organization skills and judgement, upholding equality and diversity of colleagues and patients.

Education and Development

• Provide specialist, expert clinical knowledge to clinical colleagues, patients, and carers/relatives both within and outside the Trust.
• Identify learning needs, plan, implement and evaluate programs of education to meet identified needs.
• Participate in the education of pre- and post-registration health care professionals/medical staff
• Educate and support staff in the general hospital in how to manage medically ill inpatients with psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, delirium, dementia.
• Sustain up to date skills and knowledge and maintain awareness of professional issues.
• Ensure own compliance and compliance of others with regard to mandatory training.

Research & Audit

• Identify need for, and undertake, research/clinical audit/benchmarking, to improve effectiveness of patient care.
• Contribute to relevant research projects in Psycho-Oncology being conducted at Trust, Network, or national level.
• Disseminate research and audit findings through presentation to professional groups and publication.
• Evaluate service delivery- identify areas for improvement and initiate change.