Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist

The Methodist Church in Britain; Stanton Hill; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Clinical Nurse Specialist in advanced breast practice. You will assess, investigate and manage patients across diagnostic, treatment and follow-up pathways, making autonomous clinical decisions within governance and competency frameworks.

The role involves collaboration with surgeons, radiologists, oncologists and the breast care team, and requires substantial breast clinical experience and leadership abilities to drive

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with NMC pin and Level One registration.
• Significant post-registration breast clinical practice experience.
• Teaching or training healthcare professionals is desirable.
• Willingness to undertake non-medical prescribing if not already held.

Responsibilities

• Assess, investigate and manage patients across breast diagnostic, treatment and follow-up pathways
• Take direct responsibility for clinical assessment and decision-making
• Work with consultants, radiologists, oncologists and breast care nurses
• Lead autonomous clinical responsibilities subject to governance and competency

Skills

Breast cancer expertise

Autonomous decision-making

Advanced clinical assessment

Leadership experience

Education

BSc in Nursing

ENB 998 or equivalent

Masters level in advanced breast practice

Job description

This Clinical Nurse Specialist post is an advanced breast practice role within the Breast Services team at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The postholder assesses, investigates and manages patients across breast diagnostic, treatment and follow-up pathways, working with surgeons, radiologists, oncologists and breast care nurses. It is a senior, autonomous clinical post, separate from the traditional breast care nurse role, with direct responsibility for clinical decisions. Applicants need substantial existing breast clinical experience, as the role is not a development post for nurses moving into advanced practice.

What the job involves

• Assess, investigate and manage patients across breast diagnostic, treatment and follow-up pathways
• Take direct responsibility for clinical assessment, diagnostic investigation and clinical decision-making
• Work alongside consultant breast surgeons, breast radiologists, oncologists, breast care nurses and the wider multidisciplinary team
• Undertake the role's clinical responsibilities from appointment, subject to Trust governance and competency requirements

What’s required

Qualifications

• BSc in Nursing
• ENB 998 or equivalent teaching course
• Post-basic specialist education plus Masters level (or working towards) or formal training in advanced breast clinical assessment and examination
• Non-medical prescribing, or willingness to undertake it

Registration & licences

• NMC Level One registered nurse

Experience

• Significant post-registration experience at band 7 in breast clinical practice, including breast symptoms, breast sepsis and suspected or confirmed breast cancer
• Experience of autonomous clinical decision-making
• Experience of primary endocrine treatment for breast cancer
• Experience of nurse-led and community-based specialist clinics
• Experience of leadership roles, change management, and audit and service improvement

  Skills & knowledge

  • Specialist knowledge of breast benign conditions and breast cancer
  • Advanced history-taking, breast and axillary examination, and ability to request and interpret investigations, formulate management plans and escalated suspected malignancy
  • Excellent communication and listening, interpersonal and organisational skills, good computer skills, and team working
  • Experience of teaching and assessing healthcare professionals

  Other

  • Membership of a special interest and professional group
  • Flexible approach to working, able to work unsupervised and travel between sites

  Nice to have

  • Research awareness and audit methodologies
  • Motivational interviewing, counselling course or training
  • Multidisciplinary team working and caseload management
  • Demonstrable experience of teaching or training healthcare professionals
  • Clinical leadership within a breast cancer service
  • Experience contributing to workforce planning, role development or skill-mix transformation
  • Experience developing clinical guidelines, protocols or competency frameworks
  • Leadership or management qualification, or equivalent experience