Lymphoedema Nurse

Blmk Icb; Luton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Lymphoedema Nurse to assess and treat patients with secondary lymphoedema related to cancer or its treatment. The role combines clinic duties with occasional in-patient ward work, within a supportive MDT.

You will hold a nursing degree and pursue a lymphoedema management qualification, applying analytical skills and patient-centered care to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients.

Qualifications

• 1st degree in nursing (NMC registered)
• Qualification in lymphoedema management or commitment to undertake
• Strong clinical assessment and analytical skills
• Effective communication with MDT and patients

Responsibilities

• Assess and treat patients with secondary lymphoedema due to cancer or its treatment.
• Provide clinic-based care and occasional in-patient ward cover.
• Apply lymphoedema assessment, treatment plans and record keeping.
• Perform manual lymph drainage and compression therapy as trained.
• Advise MDT and contribute to service development.
• Ensure high standard of clinical care and risk management.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Analytical reasoning

Communication

Patient education

Education

Nursing degree

Lymphoedema management qualification

Job description

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Lymphoedema Nurse

The closing date is 23 October 2026

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. Travel between hospital sites may be required.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a proactive experienced nurse to provide active care and treatment for people who develop lymphoedema as a result of their cancer treatment.

You will hold a 1st degree in nursing and have or commit to undertaking a qualification in lymphoedema management.

You will be an advocate for adopting an enabling approach and be well versed in the principles of self arrangement to support patients to live well with lymphoedema.

Main duties of the job

To assess and treat patients with Secondary Lymphoedema due to cancer or it's treatment, who may have complex and/or chronic presentations. The Lymphoedema Service is predominantly clinic-based but also includes in-patient ward cover within time constraints set by previously arranged appointments with the patients attending the clinic.

To apply developed assessment, analytical and clinical reasoning skills in evaluating the patients' condition and in progressing and executing appropriate treatment plans and maintaining records.

To apply practical therapeutic skills in Manual Lymphatic drainage and Complex Decongestion Therapy, as taught by a British Lymphology Society approved body; to fit support hosiery

To represent the Lymphoedema Service, giving specialised advice to M.D.T. members when required

To participate in the efficient running of the Lymphoedema Service

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

Job responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilites

To provide appropriate treatment to patients Secondary Lymphoedema due to cancer or its treatment, referred by members of the M.D.T to the Lymphoedema Clinic

To maintain links with other Lymphoedema Services and to attend regional meetings of the British Lymphology Society

To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients, and to organise this efficiently and effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time

To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management and that of more junior staff

To undertake the comprehensive specialist assessment of patients, including those with a complex presentation, using investigative and analytical skills

To formulate an appropriate, individual management and/or treatment programme, using clinical reasoning skills, setting objectives, timed goals and ensuring treatment progression with a variety of manual and treatment techniques

To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to patients, relatives, carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of the Lymphoedema Service and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.

To be prepared to contribute to the development of the service.

To undertake all aspects of clinical duties, as an autonomous practitioner.

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your own work, including the management of patients in your care.

To assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain consent and work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.

To evaluate patient progress, re-assessing and altering treatment programmes as appropriate.

To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload.

To be responsible for the provision and ordering of appropriate equipment to meet the patients functional needs.

To be responsible for the safe and competent use of appropriate equipment, gym equipment and patient appliances and aids.

To communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information to patients, carers and members of the MDT, overcoming barriers to communication such as e.g. aphasia, language difficulties, or deafness.

Professional ResponsibilitiesTo keep up to date with relevant developments within the field of Lymphoedema, disseminating information and ensuring that practice is based on the best available evidence

To be a resource for advice to colleagues working in other clinical areas

To comply with the NMC & BLS guidelines for professional practice

To comply with national and local policies and procedures.

To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of patients and carers and contribute to the provision of a service that is sensitive to these needs.

To undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice, audit and outcome measures, either individually or with more senior therapists.

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practise through CPD activities, maintaining a portfolio to reflect this.

To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review. This may be inter- or intra-professionally.To undertake as directed the collection of data for use in service audit. To be involved with research into specific areas of practice and service delivery as part of MDT audit and departmental research activities.

Clinical Governance

To be responsible and accountable for ensuring that all staff under your direction comply with Trust Infection Control policies and clinical guidelines.

To participate in audit / research projects relevant to Lymphoedema and / or multidisciplinary services, supporting the dissemination of findings at a local level.

To demonstrate understanding and application of national guidelines and legislation relating to Health & Social Care and your clinical area, and their impact on service provision.

To demonstrate skills in critical analysis of research and evidence and share/apply the findings.

To participate in the development and review of standards, policies and procedures.

Organisational

To ensure that your own practice and that of staff under your supervision meet the required professional and Trust standards of practice.

To be responsible for the safe and competent use of equipment by patients and by junior and student therapists, through teaching, training and supervision of practice.

To comply with all Trust and departmental policies

CommunicationTo communicate effectively with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, about patient issues, in order to facilitate a team approach to patient care; writing to General Practitioners etc

To communicate effectively with patients and carers in order to maximise therapeutic outcomes, and to ensure understanding of the condition. Communication skills in persuasion, motivation and explanation will be used. Barriers to effective communication will occasionally be encountered e.g. hearing loss

To assess capacity, gain consent and have ability to work within a legal framework and to support other staff to do likewise.

To liaise with other professionals, requesting investigations to assist with diagnosis.

To establish effective communication with patients and carers to gain their active participation in the development and progress of the Therapy treatment plan, including setting of realistic goals

To ensure that required activity data is recorded and that relevant personal and departmental records are maintained.

Person Specification

application and interview

• RGN 3 years post reg
• oQualified to Degree level or equivalent - willing to do post graduate courses / training
• oEvidence of continuing professional development
• Advanced course in lymphoedema management
• Post graduate modules (e.g. Masters level or equivalent) relevant to cancer care, or vascular care, leadership, service improvement
• Minimum of 1 year post registration experience in or linked to this speciality

interview

• oExperience of recent effective team working
• oExperience of undertaking clinical audit and/or research in clinical practice
• oParticipation in service development and change management

interview

• oExperience of applying the principles of Clinical Governance within Practice

interview

• oExperience of undertaking clinical audit and/or research in clinical practice
• oFacilitating training and education

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.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust