Colorectal Nurse Specialist - Band 6

at  Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

This role offers an exciting opportunity for an individual who has an interest in colorectal cancer to join our established nurse specialist team. We are looking for an individual who is highly motivated, enthusiastic, organised, compassionate, reliable and flexible who can prioritise their workload and demonstrate excellence in cancer care.
As an effective core member of the colorectal Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), you will contribute to the provision of the highest standard of personalised care and support to our patients, their families and carers from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond.
To work autonomously using specialist nursing skills to assess the physical and psycho-social needs of patients to enable an appropriate plan of safe, evidence-based specialist care.
Work proactively to ensure that every need and expectation of our patient’s, and that of their families and carers are met by timely intervention and effective communication throughout their treatment pathway.
Attend weekly multi-disciplinary meetings contributing to the often-complex decision-making processes in order to optimise patient outcomes.
Support and assist patients to contribute to the development of their own care plan, throughout their cancer pathway, empowering them to make decisions at times where there may be anxiety and uncertainty.
Demonstrate advanced communication with patients, carers and health professionals in order to disseminate complex nursing and clinical information which may be of a distressing nature.
Undertake Nurse led clinics to assess patients referred under the 2ww suspected cancer system as part of an existing expanded scope of practice process, and arrange appropriate diagnostic tests depending on the outcome of that assessment.
Support and refer patients identified with Lynch syndrome and arrange appropriate follow up.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the largest employer in the county and with over 8,000 staff, we are one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK. We offer a generous annual leave allowance, excellent bank rates, access to the excellent NHS Pension Scheme, discounts for local shops, restaurants and services, access to our health and well-being hub, access to our two on-site nurseries, flexible working options, discounted public transport, reward and recognition schemes, exercise and activity classes and membership to our popular hospital choir.
Patient care
Demonstrate and promote a holistic, patient centred style of clinical practice.
To be responsible for providing the assessment, implementation and evaluation of the patient’s complex cancer care needs in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team whilst demonstrating excellence in their enhanced supportive care throughout.
To use clinical reasoning skills and techniques to request and interpret timely clinical investigations for patients in order to effectively assess, plan, implement and evaluate course of treatment; for example, X-ray, CT, MRI, tumour markers and appropriate blood tests and signpost as appropriate.
To use clinical reasoning skills and techniques to assess, diagnose, plan and offer a range of enhanced supportive care options; deliver, evaluate by providing timely information to enable the patient to make informed choices about their treatment.
Ensure completion of holistic needs assessments and care plans as appropriate
Initiate follow-up care including End of Treatment summaries and referral to Macmillan Next Steps Service as appropriate.
Deliver 2WW and nurse-led follow-up and needs assessment clinics.
Use specialist knowledge and skills to provide healthcare autonomously to patients within their sphere of practice. Be accountable for independent clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients with suspected colorectal cancers as part of the 2ww Lower GI pathway trust wide.
Act as patient advocate for those who have doubts over proposed treatment and those individuals without capacity to consent to treatment.
Within scope of specialty and personal competence, to prescribe medications as an independent nurse prescriber, within the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
To communicate effectively with patients and carers sharing potentially complex, sensitive or distressing information. Some patients may have communication, perceptual or cognitive/understanding difficulties.
Respond to distressing situations with composure, maintaining patient safety and taking appropriate actions.
To use excellent prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the service.
To deliver safe care within a challenging and changing clinical environment, using equipment and resources safely and appropriately.
To maintain clear, accurate and concise patient records in line with our Trust policy and professional standards.
Maintain patient dignity and confidentiality at all times.
Professional practice
Adhere to the NMC code of practice at all times and operate within our Trust policy and practices.
Ensure clinical practice is evidence based or peer reviewed “best practice” in line with ever changing national guidelines.
To contribute to the development of nursing policy, protocols and guidelines within the colorectal service.
To ensure all aspects within the post remit adhere to the Clinical Governance & Risk and Information Governance and Information Security policy requirements.
Be competent in the use of all relevant Trust IT systems including the use of electronic patient record, email, and PACS. Maintain regular use of emails to keep abreast of information disseminated in the Trust.
Leadership and management
The post holder should demonstrate well-developed interpersonal, communication, negotiating and influencing skills demonstrated through experience of working in complex and demanding environments.
Providing advice, support and leadership within clinical teams.
Deliver against departmental and service objectives, achieving quality outcomes and prioritising own workload.
As a term of your employment with the Trust, you may be required to undertake such other duties commensurate with your grade/band and/or hours of work at your initial place of work or at any other of the Trust’s establishments, as may reasonably be required of you.
To attend, in departmental service meetings to ensure involvement in decision making processes.
To use excellent prioritising and time management skills to meet the unpredictable and conflicting needs of the role.
Education and training
Participate in and undertake national and local research and audit and implement change as appropriate. Be actively involved in and support departmental education programmes for patient group, clinical staff and LWBC teams.
Comply with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), risk management, all mandatory training, Data Protection Acts and patient confidentiality at all times

Please refer the Job description for details