An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our fabulous teams within oncology and haematology at Worcestershire Royal Acute Hospitals trust as a Macmillan Nurse Practitioner for Immunotherapy. This is a fantastic opportunity to be involved in the exciting developments within the Systemic Anti Cancer Treatment (SACT) service, as well as to provide holistic assessment, ongoing management and care for patients undergoing treatment with immunotherapy.

As a key member of a multi-professional team, the post holder will ensure appropriate referral and discussion with members of multiple relevant teams to optimise patient care, as well as acting as a clinical expert within this sphere of work. They will support a case load of patients with grade 3-4 toxicities as a result of receiving immunotherapy treatment, and will have a key role in the education of all trust staff in relation to these therapies and their associated toxicities

The applicant must have experience in / a working knowledge of SACT and substantial experience of working within a specialist oncology / haematology area.

For more information, or to arrange an informal visit, please contact Sam Toland, Lead Chemotherapy Nurse: S.toland@nhs.net or tel 01905 763333 ext 33855, or mob: 07729108364

Main duties of the job

Support a case load of patients with grade 3-4 toxicities as a result of receiving immunotherapy treatment

Enhance care delivery for patients admitted with toxicities from immunotherapy reducing length of stay and ensuring seamless transition between services

A knowledgeable practitioner supporting staff, service and policy development within immunotherapy delivery.

Provide and maintain expert knowledge and practice in venepuncture, cannulation, central venous devices, immunotherapy and other relevant therapies

Responsible for identifying and assessing complex clinical and non-clinical issues, implementing resolutions and monitoring/auditing outcomes.

Accountable for own actions in accordance with Code of Professional Conduct. Will contribute towards corporate objectives, acting within local, Trust and statutory guidelines / policies at all times.

Highly developed communication skills enabling maintenance of high quality service, ensuring timely management and resolution of unexpected events and situations.

Contribute to specialist forums and National initiatives.

Identify areas for nursing research sources of funding and initiate research projects.

Regularly manage expected and unexpected clinical events relating to immunotherapy requiring high but unpredictable levels of physical effort according to patient dependency/clinical need.

Support patients, carers and staff during difficult situations arising in the clinical area, e.g. breaking bad news or following an unexpected event.

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is nearly 6,800 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

• Best services for local people
• Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
• Best use of resources
• Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical / Professional:

Supporting a caseload of patients with grade 3-4 toxicities as a result of immunotherapy treatment, undertake advanced assessments, synthesise complex information, address complex needs and provide support to patients undergoing immunotherapy treatment and their family/carers.

To use highly specialist nursing skills to assess the patients physical, emotional and social needs.

Consider the safeguarding needs of vulnerable patients e.g. those with cognitive impairment or disability.

To be an active member of the oncology / SACT MDT, utilising excellent communication skills, enabling maintenance of a high quality service and ensuring timely management and resolution of unexpected events and situations.

To be an active member of the Chemotherapy Action Group

To develop follow-up nurse led clinics and to undertake highly specialised technical and/or practical skills, including advanced health assessments and prescribing of appropriate medications to ensure optimum patient management.

To provide a resource for staff, advising on national, local and Trust policy and procedures/guidelines, ensuring that clinical governance is embedded in practice.

Act as an advocate for the patient at all times, ensuring a person-centred approach in overseeing the patients treatment and investigation pathway, ensuring that it is seamless and well communicated to all parties, including the patients.

To form a Care Plan for the patient, providing highly specialist holistic care, based upon the above information and to evaluate interventions.

To ensure all information given and interventions recommended are evidence based and up to date.

To refer to appropriate social or health care agencies as required.

To have contact with patients and their relatives, who may be highly distressed and anxious, and to use advanced communication skills to provide supportive listening and assess psychological needs, providing practical and emotional support.

Liaise with the nursing and allied health professionals in clinical departments as they move between care settings along the patient pathway e.g. during treatment or admission.

Provide a telephone contact for patients, carers and health professionals.

To work independently without direct supervision in an autonomous style.

To assess patients symptoms and advise on interventions and refer to specialist teams / practitioners as appropriate.

Expert educator/resource for all health care professionals, across the primary and secondary care interface, on all aspects pertaining to care of patients undergoing immunotherapy treatments.

Work in close collaboration with the Acute Oncology Service and SACT teams to ensure optimum management of patients undergoing immunotherapy treatments.

Ensure high standards of patient care at all times challenging and ensuring others challenge poor practise, in accordance with the NMC Professional Code of Conduct.

Ensure local plans support all clinical quality external accreditation, for example Care Quality Commission (CQC) essential standards.

Ensure agreed systems and process to consistently provide safe, effective high quality patient care and embed a culture of improvement, focusing on the Trusts harm free indicators, measuring practice and using variations in the data to develop local improvement projects.

Through visible clinical leadership ensure that the delivery of kind, compassionate and respectful care takes place, and that the team develop relationships with patients that involve better listening and decision making no decision without me

Ensure that all patient care is assessed, planned, prioritised and high quality, both physical and psychological delegating to support staff as required. Seek advice and support from other staff as required.

Ensure the maintenance of professional contemporaneous records at all times, document all actions and interventions in a clear and honest and timely manner in line with Trust policy.

Deal with concerns raised by patients and visitors in a proactive manner, review patient feedback results and update the units patient experience improvement plans, as needed.

Ensure next of kin are informed of patients treatment and admission in line with Trust Information Governance requirements and assist with the arrangements for relatives to see medical staff and others as required

Demonstrate expert knowledge by being visible and accessible in the Clinical area and using clinical skills as required

Educational:

Responsible for education and training provision of all staff groups within the trust in relation to immunotherapies and their toxicities / adverse events, and ensuring that evidence based care is embedded into practice

Expert educator/resource for all health care professionals, across the primary and secondary care interface, on all aspects pertaining to care of patients undergoing immunotherapy treatments.

Ensure all mandatory study days are attended and that accurate records are maintained.

Ensure relevant and up to date patient information is readily available.

Lead and contribute to developments within the SACT service dictated by local and national initiatives relating to immunotherapies and undertake benchmarking.

Maintain and develop new skills and knowledge in immunotherapy treatments

Effectively utilises informal education opportunities with patients, carers and professionals.

Provides formal education for staff on the SACT update day and other relevant study days both internally and externally to the trust as required

Educates patients and their carers in the understanding of their illness, treatments and provides other sources of information, help and support.

Clinical Governance:

To maintain and promote evidence based practice by participating in and disseminating research.

Maintains a programme of personal and professional development in light of evolving service changes by attending in-service training and utilising relevant educational opportunities. E.g., courses, conferences, seminars.

To ensure national policies, initiatives and standards are adhered to within the service.

Ensure that high standards of documentation are maintained with accurate, complete and up to date information regarding patient care are kept in accordance with Trust standards

By utilising service improvement and a variety of other techniques to monitor and instigate change to continuously provide a high quality service.

To co-ordinate, analyse and implement results of audit to lead changes in practice on a local and regional basis.

To co-ordinate in the development, implementation and review of policies within the service and on a wider trust basis as appropriate.

To undertake investigations pertaining to untoward serious incidents/complaints.

Strategic / Service Development:

To develop a defined area of clinical practice within the immunotherapy service, promoting inter-disciplinary team and collaborative working practices

Develop the role and service according to changing patients needs, service requirements and evidence based practice.

To attend and contribute to relevant meetings internally and externally with primary groups representing Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, ensuring the Trusts views, influences developments and the local health economy views are represented.

Maintain working knowledge of local and national professional policy and strategy

To develop policies, guidelines and protocols to support the on-going development of the service in line with local and national developments.

Leadership / Management:

Provide highly visible and accessible professional leadership and demonstrate expert knowledge and standards of clinical practice

Lead and actively participate in service / developmental projects, quality initiatives and statutory accreditation processes

Demonstrate effective leadership skills supporting the senior management team (Lead Chemotherapy Nurse / Matron / Directorate manager) in service development and lead on implementation of any changes to the service.

To act as a positive role model for colleagues within the area.

To provide professional leadership for the nurses within the service.

To act as a professional leader within the specialty, organization and across the wider healthcare setting.

To demonstrate ability to review and negotiate available resources to enhance practice.

To demonstrate ability to manage resources effectively.

To provide and support written evidence of achieving certain specified competencies for new staff

Ensure all complaints both formal and informal are dealt with promptly and courteously in accordance with Trust policy. To respond in writing to complaints by interviewing staff, collating information and writing statements to provide evidence, reviewing practise where appropriate in response.

Personal / Professional Responsibilities:

To maintain personal and professional development by attending appropriate training / educational opportunities

Practice in accordance with the Professional Body Code of Conduct and applicable legislation.

Maintain an accurate overview of current advances in knowledge and practice.

To work in accordance with local and national policies and procedures.

To maintain accurate records and record statistical information as required demonstrating service development.

To demonstrate evidence of continuous professional development in line with professional body revalidation requirements to maintain evidence base of current developments within the NHS.

Person Specification


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C9365-23-1162