Advanced Nurse Practitioner - Urology

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job summary

Advanced practitioner with highly developed knowledge, skills and clinical expertise in diagnosis, management and treatment of Prostatic Cancer. Providing support to hospital based clinical staff, and nursing colleagues, working collaboratively to improve the quality of care and health outcomes for all patients using the Uro-Oncology Service. Acting in a sensitive and compassionate way provide clinical advice and professional support to patients, carers and colleagues. Maintain and provide clinical excellence through the use of evidenced based practice, and participation in clinical audit and research.

This is a senior nursing role that leads the drive to improve the quality of patient care across the Uro-Oncology service. In conjunction with the Matron, Clinical Lead and service manager, the post holder will work across organisational boundaries to ensure appropriate services are in place and to deliver national and local strategic and operational service objectives and quality standards.

They will be responsible for managing their own case load of patients ensuring a high quality, effective, safe and efficient service.

Scope and range

• To work at an advanced level, practising autonomously and independently (as well as within a multi-disciplinary team), to deliver a Prostate Cancer Nurse-Led Assessment and Diagnostic service
• To act as facilitator, educator and role-model in delivering a comprehensive Prostate Cancer service
• To work collaboratively with clinical and nursing colleagues, community teams and designated health and social care organisation in delivering appropriate patient centric treatment and care
• Working at an advanced level draw from a diverse range of experience and knowledge in making decisions around required interventions and treatment, which may include prescribing medication
• Promote a high standard of advanced specialist nursing by initiating and co-ordinating the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of the holistic needs of patients/ families through evidence-based practice following agreed policies, protocols and guidelines

Duties and responsibilities

• Work clinically to optimise health and wellbeing, demonstrating autonomous decision making
• Initiate and contribute towards a multi-disciplinary/ professional approach in the management of Prostatic Cancer
• To provide up-to-date information, support and advice to patients and their carers who have a diagnosis of Prostate Cancer
• Sensitively handle difficult situations that may arise, involving patients, carers and healthcare professionals.
• Act as the patients key worker by forging close links across both primary and secondary pathways, co-ordinating seamless care delivery
• Utilise evidence-based information through a variety of communication media.
• Maintain adequate patient documentation to NMC requirements for all patients seen and advice given in any practice setting and contribute to clinical activity/data collection as required
• Work collaboratively with Consultant Urologists within the multidisciplinary team, and take the lead where appropriate, in identifying innovative ways to improve the service and patient care.
• Cross-cover with the existing urology nurse teams during periods of annual leave or sickness
• Act as the patients advocate where required
• Appropriately define boundaries in practice.
• Work autonomously to provide evidence-based, comprehensive, advanced assessment, treatments and management of patients with highly complex needs, and to be able to instigate care pathways
• Work autonomously in undertaking relevant diagnostic procedures such as Trans-perineal Prostate Biopsy, organising relevant radiological investigations and blood screening
• Providing specialist care and exercising professional and clinical leadership skills to promote best practice
• Work collegiately with the lead nurse and service manager to ensure the efficient and safe provision of care within the 2ww and cancer patient pathways.
• To provide reports on service delivery, patient outcomes and key performance indicators on a regular basis to the Surgical Triumvirate
• To work with and refer appropriately to other agencies to enable identified patients to be managed in a pro-active way, with the aim of improving the overall patient and care experience.
• To foster a culture that encourages continuous learning and develop skills in quality improvement
• To be a champion for the Prostate Cancer service, and empower team members to enhance patient care delivery.
• Critically analyse research related to practice, and use findings to influence and change practice where applicable
• To use expert knowledge, advanced clinical skills and autonomous decision-making skills, in the assessment and treatment of patients with Prostatic Cancer
• To educate and empower patients and carers to identify early signs of changes in conditions, and provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills to gain independence and make informed choices to safely manage their conditions
• To participate in working groups relevant to the service within and external to the Trust and to represent the Trust at relevant stakeholder meetings/ committees
• Participate in identified management meetings in conjunction with the lead nurse
• Participate in MDT meetings, as agreed by the service and lead nurse to ensure smooth transitions of care and treatment where required.
• Participates and consults on the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies/ guidelines/ protocols relevant to specialist area
• Participates and consult upon the clinical governance process, including harm reviews, adverse incident reporting/ investigation and management of complaints, relevant to their area of practice and expertise
• Provide leadership and support for the nursing teams within the diagnostic and cancer pathways.
• Actively collaborate with clinical leads, lead nurse, service managers and the senior urology team to provide strategic development and vision for the future Urology services
• Active participation in change management at local and Network level, initiating innovative nursing directions for prostate cancer and cancer issues in general.
• To demonstrate robust clinical decision making, with an ability to set, monitor and improve standards of care
• Able to participate in Human resources management activities as requested for investigations, recruitment and staff management.
• In conjunction with the lead clinician, lead nurse and service manager, embrace national recommendations and standards for urological cancers, constantly striving to achieve these through updating Trust policies, trend analysis and new developments
• Act as patient advocate, ensuring ethical and legal issues are adhered to in all clinical practice
• In collaboration with other members of the MDT, develop and implement documentation that reflects the service standards of care and national cancer guidelines and standards
• Support the integration of theory and practice through formal and informal methods, including clinical educational opportunities
• Assess and identify the educational needs of patients and their carers, and through appropriate advanced communication skills, aim to meet these needs
• Uses their professional judgement in managing complex and unpredictable care events and captures the learning from these experiences to improve patient care and service delivery.
• Provides expert professional input to appropriate health improvement programmes to meet the local agenda in line with the national framework
• To take a lead in promoting and managing change to improve practice, co-ordinating existing resources and developing links, locally and nationally.
• To act as a role model, to promote consistently high standards of professional practice
• To share expert knowledge, to advise, and provide support to less experienced nurses
• Identifies own development needs in line with service requirements within personal development plan and proactively develops and improves own competence.
• Frequently critically appraises and synthesises the outcomes of relevant research and evaluations, and applies them to improve practice.
• Build a culture of audit and research in practice, in line with national research agendas and priorities.

Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to diploma/ degree level
• Live NMC registration
• Highly developed knowledge in the management of patients with urological cancers
• Nurse Prescriber

Desirable

• Recognised management/ leadership qualification
• Research qualification/ experience
• Recogniased qualification in teaching and assessing in clinical practice
• IRMER Qualification/ Certificate or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable evidence of strong clinical experience within the Urological field working at a specialist level
• Urology skills in diagnostics/ urology cancer pathways
• Experience in introducing and managing nurse-led practice

Desirable

• Experience/ participation in clinical research.
• Experience of budgetary management

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Evidence of good level of IT ability including use of all Microsoft programmes
• Demonstrable working knowledge of national policy drivers and quality standards relating to cancer care

Desirable

• Previous experience of delivering a Prostate Cancer Service
• Project management skills

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Driving license with access to car
• Good communication and time management skills

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

Address

St. Margaret's Hospital

The Plain

Epping

CM16 6TN

Employer's website

https://www.pah.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)