Lower GI Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist in Torquay

The LGI Cancer band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) will be an integral part of the LGI CNS team, looking after patients with a high suspicion of / confirmed diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer. The post holder will work closely with the Lead LGI oncology CNS, Enhanced Recovery team, Faster diagnosis triage CNS team, stoma nursing team and Cancer Support team. The post holder will be a highly competent, credible, and experienced autonomous practitioner who uses their breadth and specialist knowledge and professional visibility and advanced clinical skills of practice to support patients on the LGI pathway.

The LGI Cancer CNS will specifically manage the surgical part of the Patient Pathway, supervising the band 6 LGI CNS and managing the Band 4 CEA navigator, managing the patient through from Endoscopy (probable cancer) diagnosis and up to the first adjuvant oncology appointment. The CNS will also ensure an improved service for patients who are diagnosed through the emergency pathway. The post holder will be expected to exercise a high degree of personal professional autonomy and make critical judgements to satisfy the expectations and demands of the role, within a defined framework.

Main duties of the job:

• The CNS will demonstrate a higher level of practice through the provision of specialist nursing knowledge and expertise in the management of patients having surgery and other cancer therapies, liaising with colleagues across care settings to expedite specialist assessment, providing holistic packages of care to ensure patients receive prompt and evidence-based care.
• The CNS role is divided into four general areas – clinical excellence, leadership, education and research/clinical audit.
• The Lower GI Oncology Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) comprises a group of expert doctors, nurses and other health care professionals with a special interest in the diagnosis, treatment and management of people with LGI cancer diagnosis.
• This MDT approach across all services ensures that all necessary investigations are carried out as quickly as possible and an agreed programme of treatment is planned which is specific to the patient's needs.
• Treatment options are then discussed with the patient and their family and started without delay.
• The Oncology MDT’s link into other health care professionals in primary and secondary care as appropriate, to ensure a seamless service is provided which meets the patient’s needs.

We are a dedicated group of enthusiastic and lifelong learners, who work well together in an expanding team to deliver high quality, individualised care to patients with Colorectal Cancer. We work as part of the Cancer Support team based within the Acute trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• Co-ordinate multidisciplinary practice to implement colorectal cancer pathways in specified clinical areas as defined by the Lead LGI CNS.
• Participate as a key member of the multi professional team within colorectal cancer pathways, ensuring appropriate referral and discussion with other members of the team to optimise patient care.
• Ensure a clear meeting structure exists within areas of responsibility and that both formal and informal lines of communication exist with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
• Plan and organise own and associated team workload in conjunction with Trust requirements.
• Ensure implementation of agreed systems and processes to provide safe, effective, high quality patient care and embed a culture of improvement, focusing on the Trust’s harm free indicators.
• Be a visible, accessible and approachable leader to staff, patients, carers, families, and the public ensuring that open channels of communication are created and sustained.
• Promote a learning environment for the professional development of staff interacting with the colorectal cancer team, leading by example and mindful of the effect of change upon all bands of staff.
• Ensure all complaints both formal and informal are dealt with promptly and courteously in accordance with Trust policy.
• Lead and contribute to developments that are relevant to colorectal cancer as dictated by local and national initiatives and undertake benchmarking.
• Identify and co-ordinate opportunities for patient and public involvement and engagement in service development, leading where appropriate.
• Act as a role model, demonstrating high standards of care and providing clinical leadership.

Analytical and judgement:

• Actively participate and contribute to departmental clinical supervision groups to ensure a regular evaluation of practice through peer review.
• Regularly participate in the departmental Clinical Governance programme including presenting research findings, evidence-based practice workshops, clinical audit, and reporting of clinical risks.
• Develop knowledge and skills within the LGI specialty, consulting with clinical supervisors as appropriate.

Planning and organisation:

• Plan and organise complex activities, programmes and those requiring adjustments.
• Generate and implement new solutions that will best suit the needs of patients and carers, through thinking laterally about practice.
• Act as a positive role model and provide highly specialist advice and consultancy for multidisciplinary colleagues including colleagues working in the Acute Trust, Primary Care, Social Care, charitable sector and other external agencies.
• Work with colleagues in the development of regional and national guidance in Oncology service.
• Review and monitor standards for best practice contributing towards preparation for performance evaluations.
• Overcome barriers to understanding using leadership and management skills.
• Provide expert advice and information to other professionals and agencies to ensure appropriate referral to the service.

Physical skills:

• Due to the hospital layout and requirement of patient facing support, a degree of physical fitness is important as well as having good dexterity for administrative tasks.
• The ability to work under pressure both in terms of time and at a time when emotions for patients/those affected by cancer are escalated.

Patient and client care:

• Be responsible for a clinical caseload, providing specialist LGI assessment and intervention to patients with a LGI diagnosis.
• Monitor and review the progress of clients against the targets set and agreed and to modify these as appropriate to meet individual patient circumstances.
• Maintain high levels of evidence base LGI practice, contributing to and facilitating care processes and pathways.
• Demonstrate understanding of LGI underpinned by theoretical knowledge and relevant clinical experience and competence.
• Display specialist knowledge of individuals’ physical and mental health needs and appropriate evidence informed interventions.
• Show awareness of national and local policies impacting LGI practice.
• Comply with TSDFT and professional codes and standards in demonstrating personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity.
• Search, review, analyse, critically appraise and apply relevant literature effectively to influence policy and practice development.
• Reflect on clinical practice both individually and with peers identifying strengths and needs and providing evidence of sound clinical judgements based on research and evidence-based practice.

Policy and service development:

• Recognise and develop opportunities to expand own and others scope of practice within the specialist field of practice.
• Identify own personal objectives and development opportunities through education, research and audit.
• Ensure that members of the multidisciplinary team receive appropriate training, education and professional development to promote safer patient care and successful implementation of the colorectal cancer patient pathways including treatment summaries, holistic needs assessment, enhanced recovery and stratified follow up.
• Act as a facilitator/mentor/preceptor for junior staff and students.
• Encourage practice development and adoption of evidence-based practice at ward level and throughout the colorectal cancer pathway.
• Audit and monitor self and service quality to ensure resource effectiveness and impact of specialist nursing input.
• Facilitate evidence-based practice in the service by utilising extensive knowledge, both academic and experiential.
• Act as patient advocate, ensuring ethical and legal issues are adhered to in all clinical practice.
• Initiate and complete nursing research in the specialist field.
• Conduct annual patient satisfaction survey and develop an action plan from the results.
• Clinically audit the nursing work undertaken and participate in Trust and department audits as required.
• Using Trust harm free indicators, measure practice and using variations in the data to develop local improvement projects are in place on the ward.
• Provide representation on committees/working groups as required (Peninsula Colorectal site-specific group).

Responsibility for Finance, equipment and other resources:

• Ensure there are systems in place for teams to maximise use of clinical capacity.
• Assist in the formulation of business cases to ensure adequate, appropriate equipment and staffing.
• Have a professional degree of budgetary awareness and support the LGI team/service in the management of the budget and resources.
• Be responsible for the effective, efficient and safe use, maintenance and storage of resources and equipment used in the performance of the role.

People management and training:

• Ensure a clear meeting structure exists within areas of responsibility and that both formal and informal lines of communication exist with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
• Plan and organise own and associated team workload in conjunction with Trust requirements.
• Ensure implementation of agreed systems and processes to provide safe, effective, high quality patient care and embed a culture of improvement, focusing on the Trust’s harm free indicators.
• Be a highly visible, accessible and approachable leader to staff, patients, carers, families, and the public ensuring that open channels of communication are created and sustained.
• Support and help develop the Trust culture of collaborative, flexible cross-team working and commitment to delivering high quality service and outcomes.
• Set and maintain the highest personal and professional standards.
• Have a flexible, friendly approach and positive outlook.

Information technology and administrative duties:

• Computer literate, able to use databases and other relevant programmes.
• Flexibility, adaptability to meet needs of a changing service.
• Support the management function of the department by provision of reports and information as required.
• Share information with others, observing data protection guidelines.

Research and development:

• Audit and monitor self and service quality to ensure resource effectiveness and impact of specialist nursing input.
• Facilitate evidence-based practice in the service by utilising extensive knowledge, both academic and experiential.
• Seek out, evaluate and disseminate new knowledge, implementing evidence-based practice.
• Actively engage in evidence-based practice.
• Participate in departmental research and clinical governance/audit projects demonstrating basic knowledge of research approaches.
• Collect and provide research data as required.

Freedom to act:

• Work autonomously making highly complex clinical decisions with minimal supervision, working within local and national policies and being responsible for how these policies are interpreted.
• Autonomously assess patients; receive and make referrals; assess, order, interpret and act upon investigative tests; consider differential diagnosis; evaluate, treat, plan, refer and discharge patients/clients within the Trust.

Person specification:

• Degree Level qualification in Adult Nursing.
• 4 years post registration experience.
• Evidence of continuing personal/professional development.
• Cancer Role/experience.
• Non-medical prescribing qualification or the ability to undertake Post graduate study in Colorectal cancer knowledge and experience.
• Experience in the management of patients with colorectal cancer.
• Experience of giving psychosocial support to patients with complex needs.
• Advanced communications skills training.
• Level 4 advance communications skills training.

You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high-quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere, we are proud of our investment in our staff both in terms of developing potential career skills and valuing people. If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer-friendly employer. We have a ‘Staff Carers’ policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer’s Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts. The Trust is committed to preventing discrimination, valuing diversity and achieving equality of opportunity. No person (staff, patient or public) will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.