Bowel Cancer Screening Specialist Practitioner

The Methodist Church in Britain; Grimsby; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

The Liverpool and Wirral Bowel Screening Centre is seeking a permanent full-time nurse to provide specialist care within the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. The role covers colonoscopy assessment, results, referrals and follow-up, with travel between centres across the region.

NMC registration as an RGN is required; endoscopy experience is desirable but not essential. You will assess patients, deliver results, provide psychological support and ensure timely access to procedures.

Qualifications

• Post-registration qualification in speciality or related field.
• Teaching experience in clinical setting.

Responsibilities

• Assess screened patients for endoscopic or diagnostic procedures and fitness before colonoscopy.
• Deliver screening results and arrange referrals along the pathway.
• Follow up patients requiring surveillance or discharge.
• Provide specialist communication and psychological support, including bad news when needed.
• Ensure timely access to colonoscopy and smooth transfer to care pathways.
• Build links with multidisciplinary teams to transfer patients promptly when cancer is detected.
• Provide advice and support to people contacting the screening centre.
• Maintain accurate patient records and the local screening database.
• Collect, evaluate and report data; participate in QA, audits.
• Collaborate with Programme Hub and other professionals.
• Coordinate health promotion activities with the team.

Skills

Nursing assessment

Patient communication

IT skills

Workload management

NHS knowledge

Education

Post-registration qualification

Teaching and assessing

Tools

Word processing

Spreadsheets

Job description

This post sits in the Liverpool and Wirral Bowel Screening Centre, based at the Royal Liverpool Hospital site, within the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. The role centres on specialist nursing care for people the programme has identified, covering colonoscopy assessment, results, onward referral and follow-up. It is a permanent full-time role that involves travel between centres and associated sites across the region. Applicants need NMC registration as an RGN; previous endoscopy or screening experience is desirable but not essential.

What the job involves

• Assess screened patients for endoscopic or alternative diagnostic procedures, including fitness and informed decision-making before colonoscopy
• Deliver screening results and make onward referrals, managing patients along the pathway
• Follow up patients needing further intervention, surveillance or discharge, including 30-day follow-up
• Provide specialist communication and psychological support, including breaking bad news
• Ensure timely access to colonoscopy or diagnostic intervention and smooth transfer to agreed care pathways
• Build links with colorectal and Lynch multidisciplinary teams to transfer patients promptly when cancer is detected
• Provide advice and support to people contacting the screening centre
• Carry out comprehensive needs assessment and plan, deliver and evaluate care under the programme standards
• Populate and maintain the local screening database and keep accurate patient records
• Collect, evaluate and report data; take part in quality assurance, service feedback and audit
• Work collaboratively with the Programme Hub and other professionals and organisations
• Co-ordinate health promotion activities with the team

Qualifications

• Post-registration qualification in speciality or related field
• Teaching and assessing

Registration & licences

• RGN registered with the NMC

Experience

• Broad range of clinical experience, including in the speciality
• Participation in service development and change
• Applying teaching within the work area

Skills & knowledge

• Specialist nursing assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care
• Communicating with patients of varying levels of understanding in a range of settings
• Clear written reporting and basic IT skills in word processing and spreadsheets
• Managing own workload with minimal supervision
• Knowledge of professional and NHS issues

Checks & eligibility

• Current full UK driving licence and ability to travel between sites

Other

• Assertive
• Developing effective interpersonal relationships with colleagues
• Supportive of colleagues
• Well motivated

Nice to have

• Previous endoscopic, gastroenterological or bowel cancer screening experience