Chemotherapy Sister

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust; Walsall; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking a senior clinical nurse to provide leadership for the Chemotherapy Unit. You will oversee clinical management in the absence of the Unit Manager and act as Deputy when required, ensuring care meets national guidelines and patient needs.

Working with Leads for Chemotherapy Services and Haemato-Oncology, you will develop staff competencies, participate in audits and quality initiatives, and liaise with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver high quality cancer

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification in oncology/haematology.
• Extensive experience administering cytotoxic drugs (SACT).
• Advanced communication skills and teaching ability.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and management of the Chemotherapy Unit.
• Administer cytotoxic drugs per protocols.
• Ensure clinical governance and audit compliance.
• Support education of staff and patients.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Chemotherapy administration

Teaching capability

Audit & governance

Education

Oncology/haematology degree

Job description

Provide clinical leadership for the Chemotherapy Unit in conjunction with the senior nurses within the department.

Will take responsibility for the clinical management of the department and the provision of nursing care in the absence of the Chemotherapy Unit Manager.

Act as Deputy to the Chemotherapy Unit Manager as required.

Acts in a manner that upholds the values of the Trust and that of the profession ensuring that service delivered contributes to supporting the principles of clinical governance.

Required to administer cytotoxic drugs as per local/national protocols.

Work in collaboration with Leads for Chemotherapy Services and Haemato-Oncology Service.

To undertake the provision of holistic nursing care of patients and their significant others requiring chemotherapy/ anti-cancer treatment.

Develop the skills and competencies to perform additional tasks. Will work as part of the chemotherapy/oncology team to undertake the education of other healthcare professionals, patients and their carer's.

Participate in audit, service improvement and other quality initiatives.

Liaise with all multi-disciplinary teams, services and multi-agencies in both the acute trust and community.

Develop sound clinical knowledge in the field of anti-cancer drugs and have the skills necessary to provide care to patients and carer's with information, support to empower patient's throughout the cancer journey.

Main duties of the job

Clinical Responsibilities

Act as a clinical nurse / leader to ensure the needs of patients are recognised and met by the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care. This will be achieved by using a patient centred approach in the provision of care in order to meet the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs..

Responsible in leading the department team in the provision of care

Act as a point of liaison for multi disciplinary and multi agency working in order to achieve the best possible outcome for patient care. Will notify the Unit Manager of any deficits in service provision from other agencies.

Provide registered nurse support to junior nursing staff, clinical support workers and students.Maintains the service to meet standards and outcomes identified by Senior Sister/Charge Nurse in accordance with national evidence based guidelines.

Accountable and responsible for accurate and legible record keeping in accordance with local policies with due regard to NMC guidelines

Administer Intravenous drugs in accordance with Trust policies.

Undertake additional training as required to meet the needs of the patients and register any additional skills acquired as a result of enhanced practice

Contributes to the efficient and effective utilisation of Trust resources.

Maintains the 'Trust's aims and objectives within the clinical setting.

About us

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300. It provides inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010, and ongoing upgrades ensure the Trust now has state-of-the-art facilities, including a Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit. A new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, opened in March 2023, has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity, providing almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.

Job responsibilities

Management Responsibilities

Maintain a safe level of nursing staff, taking remedial action and reporting to Senior Staff when this cannot be achieved.

Assist the Unit Manager in the selection of staff and monitoring of sickness and absence.

Assist the Unit Manager in undertaking the Individual Performance Review of staff.

Will have knowledge of ward budgets and assist in the efficient and effective use and maintenance of ward resources to meet the needs of the patients and the department.

May act as a deputy for the Unit Manager when requested

Clinical Risk Management & Health and Safety

Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust recognises its duties under the Health and Safety at Work legislation particularly to provide for as far as its reasonably practicable the Health and Safety of all staff within the working environment. All staff are required to comply with health and Safety policies and to fulfil their employment obligations

Take personal responsibility for attendance at annual Mandatory training sessions both locally and within the relevant cancer network.

Have knowledge of treating extravasation, cytotoxic spillages.

Report all accidents and/or untoward incidences as per the Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust clinical risk management procedure. In association with the Unit Manager will review incidents in order to highlight particular areas of concern to senior management.

Contribute to the security of the building and it contents, in addition to that of patients, staff and visitors security.

QUALITY INITIATIVES

Rsponsible for ensuring commitment to maintaining a high quality of service to patients by continual development of practice in the light of research evidence and by audit and benchmarking activity against clinically relevant standards

Contribute to, under the direction of the Unit Manager and other clinical nurse specialists, clinical leadership activity through the generation and implementation of policies and practice guidelines, developing care plans and or care pathways where appropriate.

Adhere to the Trusts complaint procedure with regard to written and verbal complaints, using appropriate referral mechanisms in order to resolve the situation. Will audit and highlight to the unit team and senior managers particular deficits in relation to complaints and where appropriate necessary remedial action is required and /or in conjunction with PALS team

In addition, individual staff have a role in suggesting and implementing approved improvements to service(s) and in exercising professional responsibility for both themselves and their peers within an open fair and just culture.

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In conjunction with the Unit Manager assists in the assessment and continual professional development of unit staff using mechanisms such as Individual Performance Review (IPR) to generate a Personal Development Plan (PDP) in accordance with Trust polices and procedures.

Participates in the teaching and supervision of the clinical team including, where applicable learner nurse and others under training allocated to the unit.

Act as a link nurse practitioner and in conjunction with the unit manager co-ordinates other link nurses within the clinical area in order to enhance personal, team and patient knowledge in relation to specific clinical areas.

Support staff in accordance with Clinical Supervision Policy to undertake clinical supervision as either supervisor/supervisee

The post holder is required to undertake duties, having regard to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct for the Nurse, Midwife and Health Visitor and their professional contribution to Clinical Governance

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification in oncology/haematology specialty or working towards
• Extensive SACT experience
• Advanced Communication training

Experience

• Sufficient post registration nursing experience in cancer or associated specialty
• Significant experience in the administration of chemotherapy (SACT) Competency in intravenous drug administration Venepuncture and cannulation.
• Care of central venous access devices
• Demonstrate achievements in practice development
• Evidence of relevant teaching experience

Knowledge

• Knowledge of haematology/ oncology specialty
• Evidence of effective negotiating and influencing skills
• Have good interpersonal skills.
• Awareness of audit and bench marking processes
• Able to work with senior staff to make continual improvements to the service.

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.