Teenage and Young Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist

NHS; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job description

Teenage and Young Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist

We have an exciting opportunity to join the TYA team delivering care to TYA patients with a range of Cancers including Sarcoma, Haematology diagnoses and more. The TYA CNS post holder will work within the busy and dynamic TYA team covering both the inpatient and outpatient setting based at the Christie Hospital.

The successful candidate will be highly motivated and driven to improve patient care and experience and will have significant nursing experience within the medical and oncology setting.

The candidate will need to have 5 years plus experience in oncology/haematology and have a foundation in caring for TYA patients 16-25 and be able to demonstrate expert knowledge and leadership abilities.

Main duties of the job

• Lead the TYA CNS service
• Provide expert knowledge and support in the care and treatment of a diverse caseload of TYA patients with Cancer.
• Demonstrate a highly specialist knowledge and skills in the care, treatment planning and management of TYA patients with a range of malignancies.
• Demonstrate specialist knowledge and skills in the acute care and management of patients receiving SACT.
• Provide inpatient, outpatient and home visit support to TYA patients across the North West.
• Request investigations, procedures and make appropriate referrals maintaining relevant clinical records.
• Provide clinical expertise for developing and enhancing the TYA service.
• Work alongside the medical, AHP and nursing teams, maintaining good communication and collaboration between the various multidisciplinary teams.
• To be a highly visible and approachable role model, ensuring that best practice is disseminated throughout the clinical areas.

Job responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide high quality care and support, acting as a key worker to TYA patients diagnosed with cancer and treated at the TYA Principal Treatment Centre.
• Provide emotional, psychosocial and clinical support (as appropriate) from the point of diagnosis, during and after treatment, fulfilling the role of Key Worker, using knowledge and skills as appropriate to ones professional accountability, for example counselling skills. Ensure that the support to TYAs and their carers respects their diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Advise patients/carers regarding any aspect of treatment plan, side effects, symptom control, discharge planning and palliative care.
• Ensure there is clear communication between the hospital and all necessary community teams, leading to a seamless support package that provides TYAs and their families with the individual and appropriate support whether they are in hospital or at home.
• Liaise closely with Primary Care Services to ensure patients receive a high standard of clinical nursing care and provision of resources in the community according to the patients individual need.
• Ensure newly diagnosed patients are followed up in the Community setting to ensure provision of information is of a high standard and psychosocial support is adequate from the time of diagnosis.
• Where appropriate ensure new patients are assigned a Social Worker and liaise closely with all members of MDT throughout the patients cancer trajectory, taking an active role in contributing to multi-disciplinary meetings and engaging with other members of MDT in the best interests of the TYA patient.
• Ensure that appropriate patients receive the highest standard of palliative care and provide support and advice to community care professionals as necessary and appropriate to ensure where possible a seamless service between hospital, hospice and home.
• Adhere to Trust Policies and Procedures, for example lone worker policy, safeguarding policy, and where appropriate escalate worries and concerns to line manager(s).
• Provide all adolescents/ young adults with cancer opportunity to receive home visits as individual need required.
• Liaise closely with schools/colleges/universities/ employers as appropriate, acting as a resource in TYA cancer care and providing a supportive role as required.
• Ensure appropriate families are signposted to and have access to information about bereavement support services that are available and take a proactive role in offering ongoing bereavement support as appropriate.
• In the role of TYA key worker be present, when possible, in outpatient clinics based in the Palatine Treatment Centre and across the Principal Treatment Centre, supporting TYA patients and their families, as well as providing expert TYA cancer care advice to clinical teams, particularly at key points along the patient treatment pathway.
• Ensure that patients are being offered an holistic needs assessment at the beginning and end of their treatment, and at other key moments through their treatment, and disseminate the outcomes to colleagues as appropriate.
• Support TYA cancer patients to attend the Way Forward programme, or other similar Health and Wellbeing Event.
• If appropriate use non-medical prescribing qualification to support ones own practice in helping to deliver the most seamless support to TYA cancer patients.
• Have good awareness of and practice in accordance with the safeguarding policies that exist within the Principal Treatment Centre. Provide guidance and expertise to colleagues with regards to safeguarding policies and practice, supporting the work of the Trusts Lead for Safeguarding and attending the Trusts Safeguarding Committee meetings.
• Signpost to appropriate charities and organisations, that sit outside of the Principal Treatment Centre, that can help to ensure that TYA cancer patients have access to the most comprehensive support possible.
• To act as a key worker to Teenage and Young Adult patients. To accept referrals and assess individual need, implement clinical practice and evaluate its effectiveness, referring appropriately to services in the acute and community setting.
• Ensure regular attendance at both the Psychosocial and TYA MDTs.
• Provide supportive care for all children and their families during treatment within the Christie Hospital.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• RGN/ RN Child/ RSCN
• Diploma in Nursing Studies
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• MSc
• Advanced communication skills course
• Community Experience
• Teaching and assessing qualification

Experience

• Minimum 5 yrs experience at Band 6
• Leadership experience at minimum band 6
• Experience of working with a multi-professional team
• Participation in service development and implementation of change
• Knowledge and experience in safeguarding challenges for vulnerable TYA's
• Competent in bone marrow biopsy procedure
• Project Management
• Involvement in clinical audit

Knowledge

• Knowledge of haematology and TYA disease specific groups
• Clinical features, complex treatment pathways and management of symptoms, palliative care
• Knowledge of professional and NHS issues and policies relating to TYA Cancer Care
• Professional development of ward and day unit staff

Skills

• Expert in high quality patient care
• Excellent communication & interpersonal skills
• Ability to work autonomously as well as in a team
• Ability to manage own case load with good time management
• Advanced IT skills
• Excellent presentation skills

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

Other

• Approachable and enthusiastic
• Recognition of own limitations
• Excellent role model to patients and staff
• Able to drive and have access to a car or public transport for home visits
• Ability to adapt to the changing needs of 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.