Oral Chemotherapy Liaison Nurse

Beacon Hospital; Dublin; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Beacon Hospital seeks an experienced Oncology Liaison Nurse to support patients receiving oral systemic cancer treatments and to liaise with the oncology multidisciplinary team. The role includes education delivery, policy development, and care coordination across hospital and community settings.

The post requires strong leadership, teaching skills, and a commitment to high quality patient-centred care in a fast-paced oncology environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years post-registration experience.
• 3 years experience in the area of medical oncology.
• 2 years management in Oncology at CNM 1 level or above.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct patient care and support to patients receiving oral systemic cancer treatments.
• Liaise with clinicians, other health care professionals and community services to coordinate care.
• Develop and deliver education programmes on Oral Systemic anti-cancer treatments.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and ensure policy compliance.
• Participate in teaching, training and quality improvement initiatives.

Skills

Time management

Teamwork

Independence

Resilience

IT skills

Teaching & assessment

Job description

Working Relationship with; Consultant Medical Oncologists at Beacon Hospital

Accountable to; Director of Nursing

Overview of the Role

The Oncology Liaison Nurse will have a pivotal role in meeting the psychological, emotional and information needs of cancer patients and their families and significant others. He or she will be a key member of the multi-disciplinary team responsible for the care of cancer patients and will provide exceptional patient care in an environment where quality, respect, caring and compassion are at the centre of all we do.

The Oncology Liaison Nurse will liaise closely with all clinicians involved in the diagnosis, management, and on going care of all patients referred to Cancer Services at Beacon Hospital. He or she will liaise with other health care professionals involved in patient care within the hospital, with other health care agencies as appropriate and with community services.

While being autonomous, the Oncology Liaison Nurse shall be aware of their scope of practice, and the need to refer patients to specialist services. The post holder will have an important educational role within the inter-disciplinary team and will play a role in the development of quality initiatives.

This role provide direct patient care and support to patients receiving oral systemic cancer treatments. This service will also provide clinical support to the Cancer Service regarding oral systemic anti cancer treatments . The role of the Oral Chemotherapy Liaison nurse will be to set up and manage nurse lead oral systemic anti cancer treatments. All patients attending the nurse lead clinic will continue to have clinical oversight and treatment m=panning responsibly by their primary Oncology / Haematology Consultant

Main role, duties and responsibilities of the Oral Chemo Liaison Nurse

Clinical Focus

Help meet the psychological, emotional and informational needs of cancer patients at the time of diagnosis, and throughout treatment.

The support will be provided in the following areas:

• Throughout the hospital to patients who are referred to the Oncology and Haematology Service via a consultant.
• Provide support to the family and significant others, through listening, problem solving, and education.
• Provide outreach support to patients at home.
• Access patients regarding their need for referral to specialist services.
• Collate and organise multidisciplinary meetings on a fortnightly basis or more often if required.
• Foster good working relationships with all members of the oncology team.
• Maintain accurate clinical records (via meditech system), which comply with legislation and best practice.
• Demonstrate specialist knowledge of and clinical expertise in the delivery of patient care.
• Be aware of all hospital policies and procedures and collaborate with other health care professionals to ensure that these are observed.
• Be actively involved in the preparation and implementation of policies, and in collaboration with other health care professionals ensure that they are observed.
• Be actively involved in the preparation and implementation of policies and nursing guidelines in relation to the management of care to cancer patients.
• Demonstrate leadership ability and good communication skills.
• Provide an efficient, effective, and high quality service.
• Act as a resource and contact person for oncology patients attending other departments within the hospital or outside the hospital for treatment.
• Provide patients and family or significant others with contact details as per business card.
• Be aware of existing resources and services, which help patients and their families or significant others, e.g. social services, support groups, entitlements.
• Act as an advocate for patients undergoing clinical trials, providing information as appropriate and communicating with research staff.
• Participate in team discussions regarding treatment of oncology patients.

Education and Training

• Provide support to oncology nursing staff by means of regular group meetings to discuss particular patient cases, which have been found to be stressful.
• Develop an education programme on Oral Systemic anti cancer treatments
• Assist in the development and delivery of teaching and training programmes.
• Play an active role in teaching of all grades of nursing staff and other disciplines as required.
• Use relevant educational opportunities to maintain the highest standards and up to date care offered to the oncology and haematology patient.

Personal Development

• As the Oral Chemo Liaison Nurse they will be expected to continually provide leadership in efforts to improve the Oncology service within Beacon Hospital.
• Maintain professionalism at all times and adhere to the code of professional conduct and scope of practice as described by Nursing & Midwife Board Registered.
• Attend courses and conferences as appropriate to speciality and disseminate information gained with colleagues, as appropriate.
• Accept responsibility for own personal professional development and to be aware of current trends and strategies in nursing, particularly those that are relevant to providing the highest standard of support and care to oncology patients.

Information Technology

• Ensure that the team makes the most effective and efficient use of developments in information technology for both patient care and administrative support in a manner.

Personal and Professional Development

• To develop the required skills and knowledge to support the service needs within the scope of professional practice.
• To undertake appropriate further training to enhance nursing practice within the specialist area.
• Identifies own continuing professional development needs and engages accordingly.

Education

• To possess highly specialised knowledge regarding disease. This knowledge shall be acquired through relevant study and experience.
• To provide an educational service for patients and their families, formally and informally.
• To incorporate health promotion principles into all aspects of nursing care.
• To participate in teaching programmes and in-service training programmes for all staff.
• To ensure adequate patient education material is available and contribute to developing new educational material where required.
• Recognise the opportunity for clinical supervision and access if appropriate.

Quality Assurance, Audit and Research

• Ensure that his or her own practice is compliant and up to date with best practice, which is reflected in research and developments in cancer care.
• To initiate and audit the effectiveness of the service provided by the Oral Chemo Liaison Nurse, in conjunction with the Medical Oncology and Haematology Team.
• Ensure that clinical practice, procedures and standards of care are evidence based and remain dynamic, ensuring quality service development to meet patient’s needs.
• Encourage, imitate and participate in nursing research where appropriate.
• To evaluate findings and assist with implementation of necessary change to improve the service.
• Participate in regular audit of his or her own clinical practice.
• Ensure that development and maintenance of a quality assurance programme which is patient centred.
• Use such research findings to influence care within the specialty.
• In conjunction with the oncology nurse managers, the DON, and oncology consultants, set objectives and develop policies, procedures and standards for the oncology nursing service, which are based on current nursing research and relevant research from other disciplines.
• Identify areas within the speciality relevant to nursing practice, which would benefit from research.
• Promote awareness of research-based practice amongst staff.
• Participate in departmental research related to the speciality.
• Contributes to service planning and budgetary processes through use of audit, data and specialist knowledge.
• To maintain awareness of current developments in oncology.

Governance

• All policies and procedures approved by Beacon Hospital.
• Work within limitations of the role.
• Nursing & Midwife Board Registered Professional Code of Conduct.
• The Cancer Control Strategy.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Professional Training and Development

• Minimum of 5 years post registration experience.
• With 3 years experience in the area of medical oncology.
• 2 years management in Oncology at CNM 1 level or above

Skills, Knowledge, Abilities

• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to work alone and organise own caseload.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to initiate and manage change.
• Good IT and computer skills.
• Course in teaching and assessing in clinical practice.

Interest & Motivation

Interest in the development of the role of Oncology Liaison Nurse, and development of services for future.

All posts in the Beacon Hospital require a high level of flexibility to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient service. Therefore, the post holder will be required to demonstrate flexibility as and when required by their manager or hospital management.