Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our breast cancer nursing team. The role involves supporting the Breast Care Clinical Nurse Specialists in delivering high‑quality, holistic care to patients with breast cancer, as well as their relatives and carers. This support spans the entire pathway—from diagnosis through treatment, survivorship, and metastatic disease.
Main duties of the job
Main duties of the role
1. Work collaboratively with all members of the MDT to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate evidence‑based care for individuals accessing the breast cancer service, ensuring a seamless and patient‑centred experience.
2. Maintain high standards of clinical care for patients with breast cancer through strong professional leadership, advanced clinical knowledge, and specialist skills.
3. Deliver a range of nurse‑led clinics, providing specialised care and support for breast cancer patients, and refer to consultants or nurse‑led follow‑up pathways as appropriate.
Working for our organisation
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1.Ensure that a high personal profile is maintained with staff and patients and contribute personally to the delivery of direct patient care.
2.Develop nursing practice skills, competence and advanced practice within the area of responsibility.
3.Act as a professional role model and provide facilitative and effective clinical leadership
4.To be responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care for patients with breast cancer, in line with research based evidence.
5.Develop own knowledge and competence in breast cancer care in a demonstrable and evidence based practice base
6.To attend and be a core member of Breast MDT meeting in accordance the national guidance.
7.To manage own workload across a wide range of specialist activities which includes planning throughout the patient pathway, and directly liaising with other healthcare professionals and agencies.
8.To facilitate the total patient experience, co-ordinating the medical and nursing care of the patient, referring concerns to the consultant as necessary.
9.To provide psychological and emotional support, advice, counselling, information and education to all breast cancer patients, their partners and families during diagnosis treatment and surveillance periods.
10.Use the electronic holistic needs assessment tool to assess support required for individual patients, pre-treatment, end of treatment and provide a care plan to meet the patients concerns
11.Provide highly specialised direct clinical care to patients with a breast cancer, giving specialist advice and support to nursing staff to ensure ongoing care provision.
12.Promote patient self-management, undertaking risk stratification to determine those who can self-manage, following appropriate education, those who will need guided support to self manage and those who will require on-going, face to face support, as per national and local guidance.
13.To undertake End of Treatment Summaries in an End of treatment clinic.
14.Provide support as required for patients with recurrent or progressive disease and referring to other appropriate specialities.
15.Give advice and psychological support to patients undergoing Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy, and referring to other appropriate specialities.
16.Ensure attendance at surgical, and oncology clinics as requested by medical or nursing staff, or patients and their families.
17.To maintain accurate documentation in nursing and medical records for all inpatients and those attending specialised nurse led clinics
18.To ensure consultants and GP’s are informed of patients’ progress, who attend clinic
19.In partnership with cancer services, maintain a data-base of all breast cancer activity and audit effectiveness on a regular basis.
20.To participate in an annual review of patient information for breast cancer services involving all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
Please refer to the attached JD file.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
4. registered nurse
5. Mentorship or teaching qualification
6. Evidence of continuous Professional development
Desirable criteria
7. Degree in nurse related speciality or working towards
8. Advanced communication skills
9. IRMER Qualified
Experience
Essential criteria
10. Substantial clinical experience within acute hospital setting
11. Working collaboratively across professions, organisations and services
12. teaching staff/ patients/relatives within the working environment
Desirable criteria
13. Expereince within the speciality of breast care and/or oncology
14. Participation in service development
Knowledge
Essential criteria
15. Knowledge of professional and NHS issues.
16. knowledge and application of Clinical Governance
17. knowledge of Clinical audit and research
18. Knowledge of NHS IT Systems
Desirable criteria
19. knowledge of oncology, breast care and research within the specialist field
Skills
Essential criteria
20. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
21. Able to prioritise, organise and manage own workload and work with minimal supervision.
22. Able to be a positive and effective team worker in the multidisciplinary team.
23. Able to analyse complex patient conditions and take appropriate action
24. Able to perform assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of specialist care
25. Intermediate IT skills
Desirable criteria
26. Able to analyse data and provide and present written reports
27. Team Leadership & motivational skills
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.