Specialist Nurse Haemato-Oncology

Job responsibilities

Clinical Provide clinical leadership and specialist nursing support and advice to children and families with a cancer diagnosis across hospital and community setting.

Manage a case load to ensure all children have a named specialist nurse and benefit from key worker elements of the role.

Perform comprehensive assessment of the nursing needs. Plan, implement and evaluate care delivery according to changing health care needs.

Have wide and extensive expertise in provision of all aspects of Paediatric Oncology Care; this includes central venous access devices, chemotherapy, interpreting blood results, palliative care.

Order and interpret investigations/results and take appropriate action.

Prescribe and adjust doses for patients on oral maintenance chemotherapy.

Actively participate in the development of care pathway, patient information and treatment protocols which reflect and endorse latest research findings.

Promote the availability of psychosocial support and advice for families, utilising a counselling framework recognising the need to refer on to other services where appropriate.

Actively partake in the development of clinical care pathways, patient information and treatment protocols which reflect and endorse latest research findings and good clinical practice.

Participate in the coordination of transitional care at necessary timepoints.

Aim to minimise length of hospital stay and prevent hospital admission by close liaison with Advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs), Emergency departments (ED) and wards (including outlying wards/shared care centres).

Lead in the development of evidence based clinical nursing practice in line with current research and guidelines.

Co-ordinate, plan, review and evaluate individual health care plans for children with health needs arising from their oncology condition, contributing to wider health reviews including continuing care assessments and reviews that also support the education, health and care plan process.

Maintain an active caseload of all children with oncology conditions across the commissioned footprint and develop pathways that optimise care and well-being.

Support and contribute to the development of care pathways based on clinical priorities that aim to facilitate safe discharge at the earliest opportunity, developing clinical guidelines and protocols as required.

Prior to discharge, support full risk assessments in the home following significant admission or complex social/care needs.

Develop the service to, as a minimum, meet pertinent professional and national standards.

Communication

Effectively liaise and communicate with colleagues within the hospital, community and other care settings, ensuring a team approach to care. Act as a key resource of specialist support to colleagues within the team and across primary, secondary, tertiary settings, professional networks, voluntary and statutory agencies. Facilitate staff development, expanding knowledge, skills and practice.

Establish and maintain effective communication with patients and their families/carers.

Liaise with a wide spectrum of professionals and organisations, to promote positive working relationships. Establish and maintain clear lines of communication with secondary and primary care sectors to facilitate optimum planning of care of the child/young person (CYP) with oncology nursing needs.

To liaise effectively with specialist nurses/other units where the care of the child is complex.

To effectively liaise and support school-based nurses in the management of CYP with cancer.

Refers to and takes referrals from other disciplines.

Make recommendations regarding type and level of care to others involved in the childs care.

Ensure that all patient records are accurate and detailed.

Refer to other allied health professionals as required.

Provide telephone support/advice for children and families.

Develop and utilise IT skills to complete patient records, letters, reports.

Education and Training

Deliver training, education and information to primary health care team, shared care hospitals, schools, and other agencies.

Develop information packages for training.

Update personal education/training by attending and participating in relevant study days and conferences.

Professional development

Participate in and practice an appropriate model of clinical supervision and reflective practice to meet personal needs.

Network and develop professional links nationally.

Demonstrate personal development (for example, competencies, PDR, mandatory training, NMC registration) maintaining requirements of professional registration developing more specialist knowledge and skills.

Research

Actively participate in research and clinical audit related to area of practice.

Contribute to research-based nursing practice, standard, procedures, and policies.

Assist in the dissemination of research findings

Quality assurance within clinical governance framework

Ensure accurate data collection is maintained.

Evaluate effectiveness of care both in hospital and community.

Coordinate investigation of users views of the service and ensure that any deficiencies are identified and acted upon.

Contribute to development and implementation of clinical pathways for all aspects of specialism.

Participate in monitoring of clinical standards against national standards.

Assess any risks in the service and contribute to mitigating such risks.

Contribute to resolving incidents or complaints involving patient caseload.

Education and Training

Essential

• Registered Nurse Child
• Degree or working towards
• Mentorship or other teaching qualification
• Non medical prescriber
• Clinical examination skills
• Advanced communication skills
• SACT trained/competent

Desirable

• Post registration cancer module
• GCP training
• Leadership course

Experience

Essential

• 3 years post registration experience of nursing children and young people with cancer
• Working effectively within a multi-disciplinary team across all care settings

Desirable

• Managing a caseload of patients
• Current clinical experience of working with children/young people with cancer
• Experience of working in a community setting
• Research experience
• Policy development

Knowledge

Essential

• Significant knowledge in paediatric oncology
• Good understanding of research and audit
• Clinical governance issues in relation to practice
• Cancer service specifications and other documents relevant to children and young people cancer care delivery

Skills

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate effective clinical skills in relation to the care of children and young people with cancer including intravenous therapy administration, SACT competence and paediatric life support
• Ability to work autonomously and to prioritise effectively
• Active interest in teaching and ability to motivate and inspire staff
• Ability to demonstrate evidence-based practice
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Able to advocate for the child within the family, and the family within the health, education and social care system
• Ability to educate, train and develop other professionals within the discipline and the wider community
• Leadership skills

Personal attributes

Essential

• Car driver/owner
• Exhibits and promotes trust values

Desirable

• Able to resolve conflict between families and other professionals/carers, through the use of restorative approaches

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).