Chemotherapy Nurse in Luton

To work with the multi-disciplinary teams, Oncology Consultants, and site specific Clinical Nurse Specialists to provide a seamless service for patients with cancer, their relatives and carers. To provide a high standard of care to patients who attend the chemotherapy unit for treatment and other supportive therapies. To ensure that cytotoxic drugs, blood transfusions and other treatments are administered in a safe manner in a nurse-led setting. It is expected that the post holder will be responsible for their own decisions regarding care, with the support of senior nurses. To ensure patients and their carers receive ongoing support throughout their treatment. The post holder will be expected to work closely with the Clinical Nurse Specialists, the multi-disciplinary teams, Consultant Oncologists, and other appropriate professionals involved in the patient's care pathway.

Main duties of the job

• To ensure the effective and efficient care and management of cancer patients.
• To facilitate the smooth running of the treatment administration clinics on a daily basis.
• To assist with the implementation of standard setting, measuring outcomes and taking an active part in clinical audit.

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults: All employees and volunteers working within the Trust have a responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
• Undertake telephone triage for chemotherapy patients and their carers, to ensure that potential treatment toxicities are treated appropriately and swiftly.
• To work within a nurse-led environment, taking responsibility for assessment of the patients clinical condition and consequent clinical decision-making.
• Analysing problems, evaluating and implementing solutions.
• To work as an independent non-medical prescriber within areas of work as required, taking responsibility for the clinical assessment of the patient, establishing a diagnosis and the clinical management, as well as responsibility for prescribing where necessary and the appropriateness of any prescription used.
• Recognition of poor response/deteriorating performance status thereby arranging early medical review and/or hospital admission.
• To ensure the patients physical, social, and psychological needs are met and refer to appropriate services when necessary.
• To ensure that nursing is of a high standard and in accordance with Trust policies, procedures and contracts.
• As a qualified chemotherapy nurse, the post holder is responsible for their own practice and that of the Unit, hence must be willing to comment on and contribute to any changes of Unit work procedures.
• To ensure that cytotoxic drugs, blood transfusions and other supportive treatments are administered in a safe manner.
• Be aware of the safety implications of cytotoxic drugs and be able to work safely with an unpredictable workload.
• To perform phlebotomy and cannulation; administration of cytotoxic drugs, blood transfusions and other supportive treatments.
• Liaise with hospital and community staff for follow-up care, providing those staff with specialist advice where necessary.
• To recognise own limitations and know when it is appropriate and desirable to ask for assistance.
• To provide evidence based clinical advice to patients and their carers. This includes telephone advice and deciding on whether patients need further medical advice in the community or admission to the hospital.
• To support patients, their carers and staff as they cope with their diagnosis, recognising when there is a need to refer on for more specialist input.
• Provide a high level of interpersonal skills.
• Ensure accurate doses have been prescribed.
• Order relevant investigations as per protocol.
• Undertake phlebotomy as required.
• Insertion of peripheral vascular access devices.
• Maintenance of peripherally inserted/tunnelled central catheters.
• Ensure that all supportive pre-medication, hydration and medications have been prescribed, and are administered.
• Check that cumulative doses of drugs with maximum lifetime doses have not been exceeded.
• Ensure that the patient is monitored for hypersensitivity/allergic reactions and in that instance the appropriate action is instigated immediately.
• Ensure the patient understands how and when to take oral cytotoxic agents and other supportive medication.

MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To manage the treatment clinics on a daily basis, ensuring effective use of all resources. This involves planning the patients care package appropriately, adjusting work plan according to the needs of unwell patients and ensuring data entry of clinic information on the hospital computer system.
• To manage the unit in the absence of the manager, ensuring adequate staff cover is maintained.
• To maintain confidentiality and privacy at all times.
• To act as an advocate for patients and their carers and refer on as appropriate.
• To be aware of and adhere to the policies and procedures of the Luton & Dunstable Hospital.
• To be responsible for managing and ordering stores/supplies within practice area whilst being aware of budget constraints.

Person Specification

• Qualifications: RGN, Post graduation study/Haematology/Oncology course, SACT accredited course/Passport, BSC/MSC, Mentorship/teaching.
• Knowledge: Knowledge of cancer and chemotherapy treatments, understanding of the need of confidentiality awareness at all times, cytotoxic treatments and management of treatment side effects, ability to support and influence change, experience of audit and research, experience of teaching.
• Communication: Advanced communication skills training, handling distressed patients and their carers, highly effective communication, counselling course.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.