Deputy Clinical Nurse Specialist (Dimbleby Cancer Care)
Guy’s & St Thomas’ & Queen Mary’s Hospitals
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and compassionate Registered Nurse to join our Dimbleby Cancer Information service as a Deputy Clinical Nurse Specialist.
You will work closely with the Cancer Information CNS lead to provide high-quality, patient-centred care, acting as an independent clinical resource for patients, carers and healthcare professionals. The role involves delivering support and advice across the cancer pathway via drop-in services, telephone, support groups, and email.
You will contribute to holistic needs assessment, personalised care planning and appropriate signposting to services within the Trust and external organisations. You will also support the lead Cancer Information CNS to develop information services across the Trust.
This role offers the opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary team across two sites, supporting patients with complex physical, emotional and practical needs.
Essential:
Experience within cancer care/oncology
Excellent communication and assessment skills
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Join us to help deliver compassionate, high-quality cancer support.
1 day/week to be on Queen Mary's Hospital site, Sidcup
The post holder is expected to act as an independent clinical resource for patients, carers and other health care professionals about support for those affected by cancer. They will support the Band 7 Senior CNS. The individual will need to have a solid understanding of cancer care and be able to manage patient queries through a drop-in service, phone and email. They will carry out nursing and information assessments and will require excellent communication skills plus psychological assessment skills. They will have a good knowledge of support services available to cancer patients, both within and outside the Trust and be able to signpost and refer patients according to their needs. The role involves working at Guys and St Thomas and Queen Mary’s Hospital. They will be able to identify and address the patients’ needs through Personalised Care and support planning with the use of HNA’s (Holistic Needs Assessment).
The post-holder will have regular and frequent contact with Dimbleby Cancer Care staff and volunteers, service and general managers, tumour specific clinical nurse specialists, clinical and medical oncology clinicians and staff, therapy radiographers, ward staff, and others treating cancer patients within the Trust. In addition, there will be close contact with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Macmillan Cancer Support, as well as other charities and services.
Dimbleby Cancer Care is a dedicated information and support service based at Guy’s Cancer Centre, London, and Guy’s Cancer at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup. We provide a welcoming and supportive environment, offering cancer information, psychological support, benefits advice and complementary therapies to patients and carers. Open Monday to Friday, our service plays a vital role in helping people navigate the challenges of a cancer diagnosis and beyond.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high-quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We are one of the UK’s busiest and most successful foundation trusts, providing specialist services including heart and lung, cancer and renal care, alongside a full range of local hospital and community services. As part of King’s Health Partners, we are an Academic Health Sciences Centre, combining world-class clinical services, research and education.
As one of the largest NHS organisations and local employers, we are committed to reflecting the diversity of the communities we serve and building strong partnerships with patients, local organisations and stakeholders.
Our staff are at the heart of everything we do, ensuring our services remain high-quality, safe and patient-focused.
Clinical and Patient Care
- To work autonomously in the information drop-in centres and outreach service, conducting holistic assessment/triage on patients and their carers to identify their information and supportive needs.
- Providing specialist advice and/or information from appropriate and up to date resources.
- Signpost and/or refer to other health care professionals (HCP)/organisations when necessary.
- Liaise with HCP, medical team, welfare advisors, Psycho-oncology Support Team where necessary.
- Keep up to date on oncology and haematology diseases, current treatments and side effects.
- Keep up to date on supportive services in the local community
- Participate in accurate collection of data.
- Ensure all written information used is current and good quality.
- Participate in ensuring there is a good level of stock patient information and reorder information accordingly.
- Support the Senior CNS with specialist cancer information in compiling monthly reports and audit data.
- Coordinate information on tumour specific support groups ensuring dates, times and venues are set for the oncoming year.
- Attend specific support groups when required.
- Attend information team and Dimbleby Cancer Care team meetings and to maintain a good dialogue of progress with the Senior CNS .
- To support the Senior CNS and wider cancer team to improve access to cancer information and support services for diverse service users including hard to reach groups within the cancer centre and associated cancer units.
- Undertake educational and promotional seminars to staff and patient groups about Dimbleby Cancer Care and other cancer related topics.
- Manage own workload and time appropriately and act as a role model for cancer information nursing team.
- Supervise and support volunteers at both sites
- To deputise for the Senior CNS as required.
- To provide cover, when necessary, sometimes at short notice to cover periods of sick, study or annual leave .
§ Act as an advocate for patients within the department, to ensure a patient orientated approach to the delivery of care and to meet standards within the NHS Plan and other relevant guidelines.
§ Ensure that patients receive high quality clinical care and a good patient experience, having regard for their customs, religious beliefs and doctrines.
§ Recognise and avoid situations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the individuals.
§ Is wholly accountable for his / her practice in line with the NMC code of professional conduct and takes every reasonable opportunity to sustain and improve his / her knowledge and professional competence.
§ Ensure safe and effective care for complex patients requiring advanced specialist clinical skills and responsible for carrying out specialist nursing procedures to area.
§ To be responsible, for maintaining a safe environment for patients, visitors and other staff within the clinical environment.
§ Ensure that sensitive patient records are stored appropriately.
§ Ensures the cultural and spiritual needs of patients are recognised and accommodated within resources available.
§ Support and enable patients and carers to make informed decisions relating to their treatment and management.
§ Participate in case conferences in relation to the management of patients, ensuring the coordination of ongoing care.
§ Assess educational and information needs for patients and families, and devise plans to ensure need are met.
§ To be an effective communicator with patients/carers/families regarding disease treatment and management.
§ Promote high quality clinical care, and assist in the development of the specialist service, by evidence based practice and clinical standards
Quality
§ Facilitate a high-quality, cost-effective specialist service through monitoring and audit and other quality initiatives agreed by the Trust
§ Lead on and participate in key developments relating to the speciality so that high quality patient focused services are promoted.
§ Enhance the interface between staff, patients, community staff and visitors
§ Develop and utilise information systems to aid regular audit of the clinical role and to provide a quarterly incidence report for the Health Authority and an annual activity analysis and speciality report.
§ Attend and participate in multi-professional team meetings.
§ Set, monitor and review standards of care on a regular basis and initiate corrective action plans
§ Identify and intervene where circumstances contribute to an unsafe environment for patients and staff. To bring instances to the attention of the Senior CNS and/or other Dimbleby staff.
Education and Leadership
§ Identify and raise awareness of the educational needs of patients and carers and implement appropriate education programmes
§ Support and participate in education and training programmes and develop training packages as required.
§ To assist in developing a culture that is challenging, stimulating, rewarding and supportive.
§ To act as mentor/assessor to unqualified staff and to provide education, advice and support to ward and department nurses.
§ Contribute and assist and foster a learning environment within the clinical area.
§ To participate in education on a national and international level by attending, presenting at, and/or assisting in the coordination of study days/seminars/conferences etc.
§ Be aware of the local equipment training programme for staff in relation to the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts and maintain training records.
Research and Development
§ Promote and undertake nursing research updating own knowledge to promote excellence in clinical practice.
§ Utilise research findings in the delivery of specialist patient care, developing new ways of working and to disseminate relevant information to staff.
§ Participate in and be aware of other clinical research trials for patients
§ Participate and contribute to audit and research within the speciality in collaboration with colleagues.
Management and Leadership
§ Provide a leadership role model and demonstrate specialist knowledge and high standards of clinical practice and provide support or advice when necessary.
§ Develop the role according to patients changing needs and research findings, within the resources available.
§ Maintain accurate records of the clinical service and ensuring that confidentiality of information is adhered to.
§ Organise own work and manage own caseload and practice, identifying and maintaining supportive networks for self and other staff members.
§ To be fully aware of the targets set out in the NHS Plan and Corporate & Directorates objectives and in conjunction with the multi-professional team use the available resources to meet these targets.
§ Provide specialist education to members of the clinical team, which facilitates learning and individual personal development.
§ To be involved in the development, assessment and implementation of guidelines, protocols and pathways.
§ To deputise for the Senior CNS in their absence
Compliance and Governance
§ Take an active role in risk assessment, supporting implementation of strategies to minimise risk. Ensuring incidents and near misses are reported, through promoting a no blame culture.
§ Ensure all staff act in accordance with Local, Hospital and Statutory Guidelines & Policies including Health and Safety initiatives.
§ Will be familiar with the Health and Safety at Works Act and be aware of its implications and ensure that local unit and departmental policies are followed.
§ Will work in accordance with Corporate Objectives and ensure that all staff are aware.
§ Will ensure that the Hospital’s policy is understood and carried out with regard to the care and custody of drugs/medications, especially with regard to those covered by the Control of Drugs Act.
§ Will be familiar with the Trusts fire, manual handling and C.O.S.H.H. policies to minimise risks to patients and staff.
§ Will be fully conversant with the trust major incident plan and understand the procedure.
§ Take all possible precautions to safeguard the welfare and safety of staff, service users, visitors and the public, by implementing all policies related to health, safety, security and risk.
Communication
§ To create an environment that fosters good communication between patient and health care professionals, that meets individual’s needs.
§ Be an effective communicator and a role model in liaising with the community and other members of the health care team.
§ Provide support mechanisms for sharing good practice within the Wards/Departments and Trust wide.
