Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated nurse to join our evolving Colorectal Cancer Nurse Specialist Team. As our service expands, this developmental role offers excellent potential for professional growth, including completing the Master's Advanced Practice Pathway (APP) with Non-Medical Prescribing.
The successful candidate will take on an enhanced specialist role, developing advanced clinical skills, contributing to service improvements, and delivering high-quality, patient-centred colorectal cancer care. We are seeking an enthusiastic individual confident in using clinical information systems, maintaining databases, and working within a supportive, forward-thinking team.
You must be able to prioritise your workload, communicate with compassion, and support the development of nurse-led clinics within the Suspected Cancer Pathway. Significant acute clinical experience is essential, with previous colorectal or oncology experience highly desirable.
This post offers outstanding opportunities for clinical advancement, specialist skill development, and active involvement in shaping our service.
This is a weekday position, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS at Risk staff throughout Devon who is able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.
Main duties of the job
As a key member of our Colorectal Cancer Nurse Specialist Team, you will play an essential role in delivering a high-quality, patient-centred service. Working closely with the Lead Colorectal Clinical Nurse Specialist and Colorectal Consultant team, you will contribute to shaping and strengthening a service that is evolving to meet rising demand and improve outcomes for our patients.
- Support the development of a responsive, high-performing service that meets the challenges of increasing Suspected Cancer referrals.
- Help deliver a smooth, efficient diagnostic and treatment pathway for patients with suspected colorectal cancer.
- Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care and service processes, working under the guidance of the Lead CNS.
- Coordinate patients' treatment programmes, maintaining oversight throughout the entire cancer pathway and ensuring seamless communication across clinical teams and organisational boundaries.
- Knowledge of colorectal surgery is highly desirable - support, training and mentorship within the team as well as externally will be provided.
- Use your extensive acute clinical experience and interest in colorectal care to contribute to nurse-led clinics, with opportunities to expand your scope of practice as you grow in the role.
About us
We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Job description
Job responsibilities
PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
1. Clinical2. Education3. Research and Audit4. Service Improvement5. Leadership
This specialist role offers the opportunity to work autonomously while contributing to a highly skilled, compassionate, and innovative colorectal cancer service. Your responsibilities will span five key domains:
1. Clinical
- Manage your own caseload while working as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team, ensuring seamless, highquality care.
- Communicate highly sensitive and complex information with empathy and clarity, supporting patients and families through initial referral, staging, diagnosis, treatment, terminal illness, and bereavement.
- Undertake comprehensive assessments of new patients, identifying psychological, physiological, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs to develop individualised pathways of care.
- Act as a dedicated patient advocate, ensuring individuals understand all investigation and treatment options and empowered them to make informed choices, liaising closely with the medical team to agree optimal care plans.
- Provide continuity throughout the entire patient journey, supporting transitions across specialist areas and services.
- Contribute to the development of specialist care programmes and deliver expert advice, both written and verbal, to patients and their loved ones.
- Offer clinical guidance to healthcare professionals across disciplines and organisational boundaries.
- Formulate detailed, personalised investigation plans and treatment programmes, ensuring that all necessary investigations and interventions are arranged promptly and appropriately.
- Be a visible role model, demonstrating excellence in compassionate, patientcentred care.
- Provide emotional support to distressed patients, carers, and bereaved families, identifying those at risk and ensuring timely referral to relevant support services.
- Lead on changes in care management when clinical needs evolve.
- Participate in Peninsula Cancer Alliance meetings and work collaboratively on projects and service changes.
- Maintain accurate and comprehensive documentation to support high standards of clinical governance.
- Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to assess patient and family needs, offering specialist advice across the care continuum.
- Assist in shaping and enhancing the specialist colorectal nursing service.
- Take responsibility for managing patients referred urgently under the suspected colorectal cancer pathway.
- Perform complex assessments for the Straight to Test service, determining the most appropriate next steps in collaboration with consultants and SOPs.
- Apply advanced clinical decision-making to ensure Straight to Test patients receive holistic, safe, timely preparation for diagnostic procedures.
- Communicate clearly with patients to prepare them for investigations and gather feedback to drive service improvement.
- Support patient involvement in decision-making and ensure appointment choices comply with Trust policies.
- Maintain strong communication with the multidisciplinary team, primary care colleagues, and referring GPs, ensuring they are updated on investigations and assessment outcomes.
2. Education
- Contribute to the development of specialist inhouse education and training programmes.
- Offer mentorship, clinical supervision, and support to colleagues as required.
- Participate in training health and nonhealthcare professionals within and external to the colorectal specialty.
- Support the development and delivery of specialist education for patients and carers.
- Maintain and advance your own professional development and clinical competencies.
- Keep practice up to date through evidencebased knowledge, learning, and reflection.
- Complete APP Masters, including Non-Medical Prescribing.
3. Leadership and Management
- Play an active role in planning, developing, and enhancing the specialist service.
- Manage your own caseload and coordinate the patient journey across divisions and organisational boundaries.
- Work collaboratively with the Lead Nurse and Consultants to ensure services are responsive, effective, and patientcentred.
- Undertake complex assessments, reviews, and followup care for patients and their families.
- Contribute to the development of specialist protocols, pathways, and policies.
- Engage with patients and service users in shaping and improving service provision.
- Maintain membership of relevant professional bodies and participate in regional and national meetings and conferences to support service excellence.
4. Research and Audit
- Contribute to clinical audit and the advancement of knowledge within the specialist field.
- Promote and implement evidencebased practice, ensuring relevant research and best practice are shared and embedded within the service.
Job description
Job responsibilities
PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
1. Clinical2. Education3. Research and Audit4. Service Improvement5. Leadership
This specialist role offers the opportunity to work autonomously while contributing to a highly skilled, compassionate, and innovative colorectal cancer service. Your responsibilities will span five key domains:
1. Clinical
- Manage your own caseload while working as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team, ensuring seamless, highquality care.
- Communicate highly sensitive and complex information with empathy and clarity, supporting patients and families through initial referral, staging, diagnosis, treatment, terminal illness, and bereavement.
- Undertake comprehensive assessments of new patients, identifying psychological, physiological, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs to develop individualised pathways of care.
- Act as a dedicated patient advocate, ensuring individuals understand all investigation and treatment options and empowered them to make informed choices, liaising closely with the medical team to agree optimal care plans.
- Provide continuity throughout the entire patient journey, supporting transitions across specialist areas and services.
- Contribute to the development of specialist care programmes and deliver expert advice, both written and verbal, to patients and their loved ones.
- Offer clinical guidance to healthcare professionals across disciplines and organisational boundaries.
- Formulate detailed, personalised investigation plans and treatment programmes, ensuring that all necessary investigations and interventions are arranged promptly and appropriately.
- Be a visible role model, demonstrating excellence in compassionate, patientcentred care.
- Provide emotional support to distressed patients, carers, and bereaved families, identifying those at risk and ensuring timely referral to relevant support services.
- Lead on changes in care management when clinical needs evolve.
- Participate in Peninsula Cancer Alliance meetings and work collaboratively on projects and service changes.
- Maintain accurate and comprehensive documentation to support high standards of clinical governance.
- Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to assess patient and family needs, offering specialist advice across the care continuum.
- Assist in shaping and enhancing the specialist colorectal nursing service.
- Take responsibility for managing patients referred urgently under the suspected colorectal cancer pathway.
- Perform complex assessments for the Straight to Test service, determining the most appropriate next steps in collaboration with consultants and SOPs.
- Apply advanced clinical decision-making to ensure Straight to Test patients receive holistic, safe, timely preparation for diagnostic procedures.
- Communicate clearly with patients to prepare them for investigations and gather feedback to drive service improvement.
- Support patient involvement in decision-making and ensure appointment choices comply with Trust policies.
- Maintain strong communication with the multidisciplinary team, primary care colleagues, and referring GPs, ensuring they are updated on investigations and assessment outcomes.
2. Education
- Contribute to the development of specialist inhouse education and training programmes.
- Offer mentorship, clinical supervision, and support to colleagues as required.
- Participate in training health and nonhealthcare professionals within and external to the colorectal specialty.
- Support the development and delivery of specialist education for patients and carers.
- Maintain and advance your own professional development and clinical competencies.
- Keep practice up to date through evidencebased knowledge, learning, and reflection.
- Complete APP Masters, including Non-Medical Prescribing.
3. Leadership and Management
- Play an active role in planning, developing, and enhancing the specialist service.
- Manage your own caseload and coordinate the patient journey across divisions and organisational boundaries.
- Work collaboratively with the Lead Nurse and Consultants to ensure services are responsive, effective, and patientcentred.
- Undertake complex assessments, reviews, and followup care for patients and their families.
- Contribute to the development of specialist protocols, pathways, and policies.
- Engage with patients and service users in shaping and improving service provision.
- Maintain membership of relevant professional bodies and participate in regional and national meetings and conferences to support service excellence.
4. Research and Audit
- Contribute to clinical audit and the advancement of knowledge within the specialist field.
- Promote and implement evidencebased practice, ensuring relevant research and best practice are shared and embedded within the service.
Person Specification
Aptitude and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to support and influence change
- Teaching/assessment and presentation skills
- Organisation and negotiation skills
Desirable
- Leadership and motivational skills
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Proven evidence of Continuous personal and professional development
- Demonstrable (significant) and relevant post registration experience, at similar level or above, in cancer, palliative care or the speciality
- Proven knowledge in relevant speciality
- Demonstrable experience of multi-professional working
- Demonstrable experience of teaching
- Proven evidence of good communications skills
Desirable
- Demonstrable experience of audit and research leadership and management experience
- De3monstrable colorectal Experience
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered General Nurse
- First level degree in related subject or undertaking a Degree Pathway or the equivalent demonstrable experience.
- Post-basic qualification in cancer/palliative care or equivalent relevant subject or demonstrable experience /working towards.
Desirable
- Research qualification
- Advanced Communications
- Skills Training or prepared to work towards
- Recognised teaching qualification or prepared to work towards
- Proven evidence of Masters level learning or prepared to work Towards
Person Specification
Aptitude and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to support and influence change
- Teaching/assessment and presentation skills
- Organisation and negotiation skills
Desirable
- Leadership and motivational skills
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Proven evidence of Continuous personal and professional development
- Demonstrable (significant) and relevant post registration experience, at similar level or above, in cancer, palliative care or the speciality
- Proven knowledge in relevant speciality
- Demonstrable experience of multi-professional working
- Demonstrable experience of teaching
- Proven evidence of good communications skills
Desirable
- Demonstrable experience of audit and research leadership and management experience
- De3monstrable colorectal Experience
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered General Nurse
- First level degree in related subject or undertaking a Degree Pathway or the equivalent demonstrable experience.
- Post-basic qualification in cancer/palliative care or equivalent relevant subject or demonstrable experience /working towards.
Desirable
- Research qualification
- Advanced Communications
- Skills Training or prepared to work towards
- Recognised teaching qualification or prepared to work towards
- Proven evidence of Masters level learning or prepared to work Towards
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
