ONCOLOGY/PALLIATIVE CARE UNIT
SPECIALIST NURSE
JOB DESCRIPTION
Title:
Macmillan Specialist Nurse, Community Palliative Care
Grade:
Band 7
Hours of Duty:
20 hours per week - 3 month short term contract
Annual Leave:
27 days increasing to 29 days after 5 years NHS
service and 33 days after 10 years NHS service
Terms and Conditions
of Employment:
National Terms & Conditions as laid down in relevant
trust handbooks
Department:
Oncology & Palliative Care Unit.
Responsible to:
Team Leader Palliative care
Accountable to:
Team Leader Palliative Care
Post summary - To facilitate the provision of high quality specialist nursing
care to patients with cancer or other progressive life threatening illnesses. The
nurse will provide support and advice to patients and their families, in the
community setting. The service also acts as a resource to other professionals
on cancer and palliative care issues
The post holder will gain experience and training to enable him / her to attain
competency in the four main sub-roles of specialist nursing practice:
1. Clinical -To provide direct support and advice to patients with cancer and
other life threatening diseases.
2. Consultancy – To advise and support to the multi-disciplinary team
involved in the patient’s care, particularly on symptom control issues and
psychological, spiritual and bereavement care.
3. Education – be enabled to take part in planning and delivering education
programmes.
4. Research –To work closely with team members to ensure consistency of
approach to nursing work through awareness of the latest relevant
research. Evidence based practice will be encouraged through personal
training and participation in audit and service evaluation.
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Key Areas of Responsibility
Clinical
The post Holder will:
1. In collaboration with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, assess
the needs of patients, families and other carers and provide specific advice
or support as appropriate.
2. Advise and support the multi-disciplinary team to provide high quality care.
This might include advice on pain and symptom control, care planning,
spiritual, social and psychological care, communication and resources.
3. Collaborate with other health care professionals and relevant agencies to
promote planned co-ordinated care.
4. Maintain adequate records of all patients and ensure all relevant
information is documented in the patient’s medical/nursing notes.
5. Evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions and treatment protocols.
6. Facilitate the provision of bereavement support to families and other carers.
7. To participate in the provision of information to patients and their carers
regarding their illness treatment and services available
8. The post holder will ensure that all clinical practice is directed by the NMC.
advisory documentation, e.g. Code of Professional Conduct, Scope of
professional Practice, P.R.E.P. etc.
Consultancy
Under Supervision of the Team Leader the post holder will:
1. Accept requests for specialist palliative care consultation from whoever
refers a patient. This could include patients, carers, GP’s, district nurses,
colleagues within the Oncology & Palliative Care Unit and others.
2. Consider requests for consultation and direct to appropriate agencies if
outside the scope of specialist palliative care.
3. Maintain clarity with regard to the consultation relationship, responsibilities
of the consultee and consultant, and lines of accountability. The CNS will
only assume primary responsibility for specialist palliative care.
4. If the consultation process is deemed the appropriate response to the
request for consultation the CNS will complete a thorough assessment of
the situation drawing on his/her skills, knowledge and experience.
5. Identify overt and covert patient problems through assessment.
6. Communicate the findings of the consultation to the primary carer(s) and
the patient.
7. Plan action based on the assessment. This might include: education of the
patient and primary carers, recommendations for change(s) in therapeutic
regime(s), requests for more data from patient and/or primary carer(s),
initiation of specialist palliative care techniques if care needs are beyond
the competence of the primary carer(s).
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8. Evaluate, with the patient and primary carers, the effectiveness of
recommended interventions.
Management
The post holder will:
1. Efficiently utilise the resources required to meet service objectives.
2. Participate in business planning and objective setting for the Unit.
3. Participate in the continuing work of the Unit for service improvement to
meet the NICE guidance for supportive and palliative care for adults with
cancer.
4. To take part in the preparation for Peer review.
5. Manage time in such a way as to fulfil all four sub-roles.
6. Establish and maintain good communication links with medical staff,
nursing colleagues, patients and carers, and others, in both hospital and
community settings.
7. Take part in appraisal of self and others, including 360-degree appraisals.
8. Take part in reviewing processes of care to enhance efficiency.
9. Foster a multi-disciplinary approach to care through communication and
collaboration, and valuing the contribution of others to care.
Education
The post holder will:
1. Identify the specific education needs of individual patients and carers and
facilitate meeting those needs.
2. Identify the training and education needs of the multi-disciplinary team
together with senior staff to promote specific skills related to cancer and
palliative care. Work collaboratively with relevant educational staff to
provide teaching programmes to meet those needs.
3. Prepare and provide learning materials for use within the clinical areas.
4. Act as a role model and mentor to staff. Provide informal education and
support to staff in their provision of cancer and palliative care
5. Participate in clinical supervision
6. Keep self up to date through informal and formal learning
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Audit and Research
The post holder will:
1. In consultation with the Unit Manager and collaboration with other specialist
nurses, identify and encourage research-based practice in relation to
palliative care within the Trust.
2. In conjunction with the Unit manager and Lead Clinicians participate in
multi-disciplinary audit.
3. Participate in nursing and collaborative research in palliative care.
4. Submit statistics and activity data as required.
5. Assist in the development of policies, procedures and clinical protocols
related to cancer and palliative care.
6. Develop standards of practice against which quality of care may be
measured.
7. Contribute to clinical audit as required.
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Health and Safety Policy
Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the
Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) to ensure that the agreed safety
procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees and
visitors.
Security
It is the responsibility of all employees to work within the security policies and
procedures of the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust to protect patients, staff and
visitors and the property of the Trust. This duty applies both to the specific
work area of the individual and to the Hospital in general.
Data Protection
This post has a confidential aspect. If you are required to obtain, process
and/or use information held on a computer or word processor you should do it
in a fair and lawful way. You should hold data only for the specific registered
purpose and not use or disclose it in any way incompatible with such a
purpose. To disclose data only to authorised persons or organisations as
instructed. Breaches of confidence in relation to data will result in disciplinary
action that may involve dismissal.
No Smoking
We have promoted a No Smoking Policy as part of our responsibility for the
provision of health. You will be required to work within the framework of this
policy.
Equal Opportunities
This Trust operates an equal opportunities policy. It is the aim of the Trust to
ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less than favourable
treatment on the grounds of sex, race, colour, nationality or national origins or
is placed at a disadvantage by conditions or requirements that cannot be
shown to be justifiable. To this end the Trust has an equal opportunities
policy and it is for each employee to contribute to its success.
Confidentiality
You are required to maintain confidentiality of any information concerning
patients which you have access to or may be given in the course of your work,
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in accordance with current policy on confidentiality of the Whittington Hospital
NHS Trust.
Method of Payment
Payment of salary is made into bank account/building society account by
direct bank system. Details of a bank account or building society account will
be required on the first day of work. There is no facility for any other form of
payment.
Personal Conduct
All staff are expected to treat other members of staff with courtesy and
respect. The trusts’ rules & policies, including the disciplinary procedure apply
to all staff without exception.
NMC Registration
The maintenance of registration with the NMC. is a requirement of this post.
Post holders are expected to comply with the NMC. regulations and guidance.
This Job Description is not exhaustive. It is a general guide to the role and
responsibilities expected of the post holder. As such, it will be subject to
periodic review and change to meet the emerging needs of the service.
DF September 2004
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ONCOLOGY/PALLIATIVE CARE UNIT
SPECIALIST NURSE - PALLIATIVE CARE
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Educational Requirements
First level Registered Nurse;
ENB 285 or equivalent palliative care experience, or;
ENB 237 or significant oncology experience, plus;
ENB 998 (or equivalent).
Evidence of ability to undertake study at degree level and to gain one or
More of the above mentioned courses.
Essential
Essential
Essential
Desirable
Essential
Experience
Two years post registration experience in a oncology/palliative care
nursing setting.
Teaching experience.
Competent knowledge in symptom management and psychological care.
Ability to work independently with a caseload.
Experience of utilising nursing research and audit.
Experience of supporting colleagues.
Community experience.
Essential
Essential
Desirable
Desirable
Desirable
Desirable
Desirable
Skills and Abilities
Able to demonstrate knowledge of management.
Able to demonstrate good communication skills, written and oral.
Able to act as a positive role model.
Able to reflect on own performance.
Able to take part in own appraisal.
Able to take part in clinical supervision.
Desirable
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Knowledge
Good understanding of changes facing nursing and the Health Service.
Sound clinical knowledge base.
Essential
Desirable
Personal Qualities
Good listening skills.
Assertive qualities.
Ability to negotiate.
Clear vision for nursing.
Able to work well within a team.
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Other Requirements
Good health record.
Able to work flexibly.
Willing to develop & extend own practice.
Well written application form.
Driving licence.
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Desirable
The essential elements of this person specification are minimal. They have
been chosen in order to define a person with the right kind of orientation to
practice for this post. The desirable elements are those competencies that
will be developed through the training offered.
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