Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Gastrointestinal Clinical Nurse Specialist (GI CNS) to join our dedicated team based at the Sutton site.
The GI Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) provides advanced nursing expertise across medical oncology, clinical oncology, and surgical specialties, supporting patients with gastrointestinal (GI) and neuroendocrine tumours from diagnosis through all stages of disease. This role is integral to delivering effective, compassionate, and efficient specialist care to patients with complex GI conditions and their families. Working across GI medical oncology, clinical oncology, and surgical services, the postholder will also provide cross-site cover across The Royal Marsden locations as required, ensuring that the patient remains at the centre of all aspects of care.
The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic and dedicated professional with excellent communication and advanced clinical skills and demonstrates experience in GI oncology. They will be flexible, reliable, and able to support late clinics, while working autonomously to drive change within a fast-paced specialist service.
Given the nature of the role, we are seeking a dependable and highly adaptable individual who can work independently and integrate quickly within the team.
Main duties of the job
As a key member of the multidisciplinary team, you will:
1. Deliver expert assessment, management, and support for patients and their families from diagnosis through all stages of disease.
2. Act as a patient advocate, providing education, advice, and information to support informed decision-making.
3. Lead nurse-led initiatives and contribute to service development, governance, and quality improvement, ensuring safe and high-quality pathways of care.
4. Work autonomously while collaborating closely with consultants, AHPs, and wider multidisciplinary team to ensure seamless communication and care coordination.
5. Support patients and their families with compassion and consistency, promoting a holistic approach to care.
6. Act as a role model, providing guidance to junior colleagues and actively promoting advanced nursing practice.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
7. Provide a clear focus for nursing, maintaining a highly visible and authoritative presence within the units, ensuring high-quality, patient-centred care across all settings.
8. Deliver expert assessment, management, and continuity of care for patients with gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine tumours, supporting them and their families from diagnosis through all stages of disease.
9. Use advanced clinical judgement to plan, deliver, and evaluate individualised care, jointly developing assessment tools to ensure timely referral to appropriate specialists.
10. Manage a personal caseload, acting as key worker where appropriate to coordinate care and ensure optimal liaison and continuity.
11. Discuss all treatment options, including research-based interventions, with expertise and sensitivity, supporting informed decision-making while acting as a patient advocate.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
12. First level registration
13. Degree in Nursing (Adult)
14. Evidence of continued professional development
15. Be willing to undertake Trust CNS role development programme or be able to demonstrate equivalent competencies
16. Evidence of MSc level learning or working towards in relevant subject
Desirable criteria
17. Recognised teaching qualification
18. Post Registration qualification in cancer nursing
Experience
Essential criteria
19. Significant post-registration experience in GI oncology (medical, clinical and/or surgical) to be confident and competent in using the required skills to do the job
20. Experience in chemotherapy administration or completed SACT passport
Desirable criteria
21. Demonstrable experience in a range of cancer care settings
22. Experience in clinical management
23. Previous experience of working as a clinical nurse specialist
24. Experience in audit/research
Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
Essential criteria
25. Evidence of good leadership qualities, including delegation, motivation, influencing skills and co-ordination of teams
26. The ability to communicate effectively in both written and spoken English to a wide range of people both internally and externally, often involving highly complex or sensitive information
27. Presentation skills
28. Ability to innovate and respond to change
29. Ability to interpret and implement new policies into workplace procedures
30. Evidence of commitment to patient & carer involvement in care
31. Knowledge of clinical governance issues and risk management strategies
32. Ability to make decisions, organise & prioritise
33. Excellent interpersonal skills with particular ability to liaise effectively with multidisciplinary team members
34. Evidence of working well in a team
35. Ability to demonstrate self-motivation and motivate others
36. Experience and ability to manage conflict situations
Desirable criteria
37. Experience of disseminating work through presentation/publication
38. Advanced communication skills
The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.
Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Please ensure your information is accurate to avoid errors with processing your application
Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff
At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease.
The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.