Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
Provide a
comprehensive highly specialist service to children and young people (CYP) with
Cancer and Leukaemia and their carers/family, as a
shared care arrangement with the child or young persons principal
treatment centre (Birmingham Childrens Hospital).
To act as an expert
specialist resource for CYP with Cancer and Leukaemia, collaborating with all
members of the multi professional team, both within the Trust, and externally
(with Principal Treatment Centre in Birmingham, Primary Health Care Teams and cancer
networks) to facilitate a collaborative approach to patient care.
To provide
professional, strategic, and clinical nursing leadership in the delivery of CYP
cancer service within a shared care arrangement for all nursing elements of the
CYP cancer services. The post holder will
be expected to contribute to the strategic development of the service in line
with relevant national targets and quality measures.
Provide overall
responsibility for the provision of specialist nursing advice and support for
patients with an actual diagnosis of cancer or when cancer is initially
suspected, from their period of investigation, diagnosis, treatment and
possible transition into palliative care.
Facilitate the
development and practice of evidenced based childrens cancer nursing in line
with national recommendations and standards where these are available.
To manage and
develop the CYP Oncology nursing team acting as a professional leader to
provide high quality care to patients accessing this service.
Be an integral
member of the CYP Oncology specialty team and the Directorate triumvirate to
provide a safe, high-quality specialist service and contribute to the strategic
review of clinical services as appropriate.
It is
expected that the post holder will manage time effectively, creating a balance
between clinic responsibilities and management responsibilities with effective
job planning.
Key
Responsibilities
Clinical
To practice as an
independent CYP Oncology Nurse and provide expert specialist nursing advice and
support to patients, their families and other healthcare professionals
following diagnosis and through to treatment, ensuring that the
provision of excellent evidence-based nursing care is maintained.
Provide the best possible care for the child and
young person, ensuring co-ordination and continuity of care from the initial
diagnosis to discharge into the community / transition to adult care or
commencement of palliative care throughout the patient journey.
Manage own patient caseload delivering
individualised patient care ensuring continuity of a high standard of
evidence-based nursing care, from point of referral through to assessment,
investigation, diagnosis to conservative treatment and/or
discharge and independently prescribe necessary medications as a Non-Medical
Prescriber, always acting within own professional scope of practice.
Exercise a high degree of professional
autonomy assisting with consultant paediatric chemotherapy clinics; developing
chemotherapy prescribing in line with professional standards and physically
assessing children prior to chemotherapy administration.
Act as Deputy in absence of POSCU Lead
Consultant and Deputy Lead POSCU Clinician
Demonstrate safe decision-making and
be able to institute appropriate and timely response to patient reported cues.
Communicate timely information to
patients/carers/families regarding treatment plan, tailored to their age and continually
reviewing and assessing their understanding of the information provided.
Co-ordinate palliative and terminal
care to provide specialist advice and support to families and healthcare
professionals. Provide appropriate
bereavement support for families in liaison with the Principal Treatment Centre
(Birmingham Childrens Hospital).
Visit wards and
departments within the Trust where CYP are to support staff and patients and
ensure high quality evidence-based care.
Be responsible for the management of
all operational nursing issues within the specialty area, overseeing quality,
safety, equity, efficiency, and effectiveness.
Have an overall
responsibility for the direction and development of the
CYP Oncology nursing service and lead a team of clinical nurses, offer
clinical expertise, advice and clinical skill to ensure the smooth running of
the department. This will include working as part of the team within clinical
settings and managing on a daily basis.
In conjunction
with the Lead Consultant take responsibility for the quality of care delivered
to patients in line with national requirements.
Excellent communication skills
enabling maintenance of high-quality service and ensuring timely management and
resolution of unexpected events and situations.
Support patients, carers and staff
during difficult situations arising in the clinical area, e.g. breaking bad
news or following an unexpected event.
Act as a resource to all members of the multi
professional teams working within the specialty service and
provide expert clinical advice and support on an ongoing basis to clinical
nurses ensuring all aspects of the plan of care are understood and carried out
in accordance with present standards and protocols.
To ensure new recommendations and
guidelines are adapted into clinical practice, in line
with current research, to ensure the
best outcome for the patient.
Ensure adherence
of all infection previous and control standards are maintained.
Lead the day-to-day management of
specialty services ensuring clinical sessions are covered by suitably
qualified and experienced nurses.
To work in partnership with the senior
nursing staff to provide clear leadership, set, monitor, and review quality and
performance standards.
Prescribe Systemic Anti-Cancer
treatment (SACT) in line with Trust Non-Medical Prescribing Policy and in
agreement with Lead Cancer Nurse and Oncology/Haematology Team at Principal
Treatment Centre.
Provide Non-Medical Authorisation of Blood Components
in line with Trust Policy.
Education, Training and Development
Act as an expert educational resource
for all clinical staff, patients and carers by providing and developing formal
and informal specialist training; promote and develop a positive learning
environment.
Actively
participate in the delivery of educational programmes for nursing, medical and
Allied Health Professionals specific to own speciality in wards, outpatient
area and primary care.
Provide assessor
and mentoring supervision to post graduate/ advanced practice nurses as well as
undergraduate nursing students, role modelling expert professional practice. Ensure mandatory assessor update attended.
Ensure
that opportunities to share learning and experience between the
multi-disciplinary team are promoted to ensure good communication and
utilisation of relevant information.
To
contribute to the development of resource and teaching packs for use by
patients and/or staff in the clinical and education settings.
Provide
clinical supervision a process by which the team are able to reflect on their
professional practice in order to improve, identify training needs and develop
knowledge and skills.
Clinical
Governance
Continuing
responsibility for the development and management of care pathways ensuring
regular audit and action findings to ensure best evidence-based patient care.
Ensure National and
local policies, initiatives and standards are adhered to within the specialty service.
Ensure that high
standards of documentation are maintained with accurate, complete,
contemporaneous and up to date information regarding patient care are
maintained in accordance with NMC Code of Conduct.
Ensure regular
audit of practice that is registered with the Audit department and presented
within Directorate, local and national forums. Publication of results to add to
body of clinical evidence.
To undertake investigations pertaining
to untoward serious incidents/complaints within specialist teams and
disseminate lessons learnt.
Work in
collaboration with clinical governance and consultant lead to ensure relevant
NICE guidelines become embedded in clinical guidelines and practice.
Support the implementation of the
Quality Strategy within your defined area of responsibility working in
collaboration with the Governance Team to ensure there is openness,
accountability and probity.
Support the development of a learning
culture and ensure appropriate nursing audit mechanisms are in place, in order
to compile evidence to support any required changes in practice.
Contribute to the development of
policies, procedures, and guidelines for the management of patients within the
service.
Take appropriate
action to ensure that a safe working environment is maintained for patients,
staff and visitors within clinical areas countywide, by producing risk
assessments and improvement plans for any hazards in the environment.
Attend regular prescribing updates in
line with local and national prescribing framework, be an expert practitioner
and prescriber within own specialty area.
Utilise clinical
practice, consultation, research, and education to shape the strategic
direction of the service.
Contribute to specialist forums and
National initiatives, including collaboration with system partners.
Provide reports to the relevant Boards
and Governance forums timely.
*Please see attached full job description for complete details on role
