Job overview
Position Title: Dermatology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) for Skin Cancer - Permanent post
Full-time Equivalent: hours per week
Working Hours: 09:00 am – 17:00 pm
The St John’s Institute of Dermatology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust has a long history of providing specialised skin cancer care for patients diagnosed with skin cancer. An exciting opportunity has arisen within our friendly dermatology skin cancer services at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital. We are looking for two experienced and motivated Clinical Nurse Specialist (Band 7) to join our well-established team. This new role involves working with dermatology clinicians to support the new tele dermatology services, alongside face-to-face follow-ups.
The successful candidate will work closely with the team to ensure that patients receive comprehensive support throughout their cancer treatment journey. The role includes involvement in general dermatology and urgent skin clinics.
As a Clinical Nurse Specialist, you will be responsible for supporting patients through their diagnosis and treatment, facilitating their care pathways. You will also act as a key worker for patients and collaborate with the multidisciplinary teams involved in their care. The post holder must have a willingness to work towards a Nurse Prescribing qualification, and completion of a leadership course is essential.
Advert Closing Date: 16th April 2026
Proposed Interview Date: 28th April 2026
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsible for:
1. Managing a caseload of patients with a skin cancer diagnosis undergoing treatment, acting as an experienced and autonomous practitioner.
2. Managing a caseload of patients requiring teledermatology follow-ups.
3. Delivering teaching, mentoring, and assessment, including the supervision of others in the clinical setting.
4. Participating in quality improvement initiatives.
5. Providing support, education, and advocacy for patients throughout their care journey.
6. Delivering patient information and undertaking care planning.
7. Providing leadership and driving innovation within the service.
8. Providing psychological support to patients, carrying out Holistic Needs Assessments (HNA), and demonstrating knowledge of survivorship initiatives.
9. Working in nurse-led clinics and acting as a non-medical prescriber (desirable).
10. Coordinating ward rounds and patient reviews.
11. Managing and educating patients on dermatology wound care and skincare.
12. Adhering to protocols, policies, peer reviews, audits, and clinical governance standards.
Working for our organisation
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research’s biomedical research centres, established with King’s College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will be responsible for:
13. Autonomous Patient Care: Managing a caseload of patients within the specialty, delivering individualised and personalised direct patient care, while working collaboratively as part of the multidisciplinary team.
14. Emergency Assessment and Action: Assessing and recognising emergencies within the specialty, interpreting information, taking appropriate action, and leading others to do the same.
15. Patient Advocacy: Acting as an advocate for patients within the department, ensuring a patient-oriented approach to care delivery, and meeting NHS Plan standards and other relevant guidelines.
16. High-Quality Care: Ensuring patients receive high-quality clinical care, respecting their customs, religious beliefs, and cultural doctrines.
17. Health and Wellbeing: Recognising and avoiding situations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of patients.
18. Engagement: Actively engaging service users through facilitating user groups and open days, promoting patient involvement and feedback.
19. Coordinating Specialist Services: Coordinating the provision of specialist services to patients both in the hospital and/or community setting, effectively liaising with multidisciplinary colleagues.
20. Nurse-Led Clinics: Developing and running nurse-led clinics, coordinating treatment in conjunction with medical staff.
21. Clinical Leadership: Directing, supporting, encouraging, and advising clinical teams by providing specialist knowledge and advice in the care of patients within the specialty.
22. Patient-Centered Care: Promoting patient-centred care by establishing and maintaining supportive relationships with patients and their families during the assessment, treatment, and aftercare periods.
23. Informed Decision-Making: Supporting and enabling patients and carers to make informed decisions about treatment and management options.
24. Clinical Excellence: Promoting high-quality clinical care and assisting in the development of the specialist service through the use of evidence-based practice and clinical standards.
25. Professional and Clinical Expertise: Providing professional and clinical leadership, acting as a resource for education and clinical expertise in both hospital and community settings.
26. Specialist Practice: Demonstrating expert practice and providing highly specialist advice in the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of patient care, including history taking, physical examination, and the request for diagnostic procedures and clinical investigations.
We strive to recruit and retain the best staff as the dedication and skills of our employees are central to our organisation's success. Our services are focused on delivering the highest quality, safe, and patient-centred care.
For more details, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Person specification
Qualification
Essential criteria
27. BSC/1st degree (health related) or equivalent qualification/training and experience
28. Your professional knowledge acquired at degree level will be supplemented by specialist training, experience and short courses to Masters level equivalent.
29. Post registration qualification in appropriate area of speciality or equivalent post qualification experience.
30. Leadership course
31. Mentorship course
32. RN1 or RN Child Registered Nurse on the NMC register. To hold the appropriate level for the area of speciality.
Desirable criteria
33. To have or working towards a masters degree
34. To have or working towards a non medical physical assessment course
Skills
Essential criteria
35. Advanced clinical, managerial and leadership skills in specialty.
36. Proven listening / counselling skills with the ability to manage complex situation and appropriately deliver sensitive and difficult outcomes.
37. Evidence of teaching skills in particular teaching patients in how to manage their conditions and raise their awareness of their condition.
38. Ability to clinically lead & influence staff
39. Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues
40. Sound knowledge of current issues in the profession and practice of nursing
41. Able to use skills of history taking and physical assessment to direct patient care
42. Time management and organisation skills
43. Ability to conduct & evaluate own projects successfully
44. Demonstrate an understanding of: the National agenda for speciality. Knowledge of quality standards & NICE recommendations/NSF
45. Knowledge of current clinical & nursing research
46. Ability to carry out audit and research
47. IT Skills
48. Presentation skills
Desirable criteria
49. Ability to interpret and analyse complex data and findings
50. Undertaken clinical & nursing research
Experience
Essential criteria
51. Extensive experience of working autonomously at a level within the specialist area delivering effective patient focused care.
52. Proven evidence of management and leadership skills
53. Previous experience of student supervision and clinical education at undergraduate level
54. Experience of delivering patient advocacy
55. Experience of audit, research & evidence based care- essential
56. Experience of delivering change management both personally and as a facilitator
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.