Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the dynamic multi-disciplinary melanoma oncology team based at the Christie.
The Christie melanoma provide specialist care and management for patients diagnosed with melanoma. The service is always striving to improve patient care and outcomes through service development and clinical trial activity. The post holder will work alongside medical oncology consultants, clinical fellows and advanced practitioners caring for and helping to manage patients undergoing immunotherapy, targeted therapy and other novel treatments. This will include advice about symptom management and providing specialist information, support, co-ordination of care both in the outpatient and inpatient settings.
We welcome applications from those from a nursing background which should include experience of nursing patients with melanoma and or immunotherapy. Oncology nursing experience will also be taken into account.
The post holder will be motivated and eager to improve the quality of patient care and the patient experience and have skills in service audit and innovation. The post demands excellent oral and written communication skills and good interpersonal skills are paramount together with the confidence to engage and work with a range of colleagues at all levels and from all professional groups. Flexibility in working is also essential.
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The post holder will be responsible for
· Providing a comprehensive nursing service for those suffering from melanoma. This will be through clinical practice, teaching and participation in research
· Acting as a resource for the Multidisciplinary Team.
· Developing the post according to service needs, agree targets for progress and demonstrating the positive effect of this patient care.
· Providing leadership and innovation in melanoma nursing.
Working for our organisation
The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
This post has a specific focus on supporting patients undergoing non-surgical treatment of melanoma. The postholder will:
§ Provide specialist nursing expertise and advice to patients and carers within the field of melanoma
§ Act as point of contact for patients, carers and all members of the Multidisciplinary Team, providing information and education as required.
§ Provide emotional support from diagnosis onwards, ensuring continuity and consistency of care for patients and relatives.
§ Work within clearly defined protocols.
§ Collaborate with all members of the Multidisciplinary Team, both internally and externally including referring hospitals, GPs, District Nurses and Specialist Nurses across the region. Ensure there is a smooth transition for patients and carers from hospital to the community and vice versa.
§ Demonstrate initiative and vision in moving the service forward as well as developing standards and protocols for the management of this patient group.
§ Develop the provision of holistic needs assessments
§ Develop recovery packages to enable patients to live with and beyond cancer
§ Attend outpatient clinics ensuring that the needs of patients and carers are met in these clinics.
§ Initiate nurse led clinics when appropriate- either telephone or hospital based in order to support patients outside clinic appointments
§ Provide cross cover for the other Nurse Specialist within the melanoma Multi-disciplinary Team
§ Promote a culture that supports self-management.
§ Provide specialist education and training to other professionals within the multidisciplinary team involved in patient care.
§ Provide specialist education and training to ward staff about melanoma, including the care of patients on systemic anti cancer treatment
§ Collate and record quantitative and qualitative data to provide evidence of productivity, outcomes and quality, through audit and research
§ Lead on the implementation and monitoring of adherence to relevant clinical guidelines.
§ Actively participate in multi-professional meetings, acting as patient advocate and representing nursing views.
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§ Act as a role model for excellent advanced communication skills and expertise.
§ Demonstrate skills in conflict resolution and competent negotiation skills when dealing with difficult or challenging situations.
§ Lead the development of patient focussed education, including training to self-manage ongoing consequences of treatment.
1. Clinical Practice
§ Provide specialist nursing input for patients with melanoma explaining treatment regimens and side effects. Ensure access to written and verbal information, provide advice and support.
§ Be fluent with protocols and maintain specialist knowledge relating to melanoma.
§ Manage a caseload of patients and undergo comprehensive assessments and plan, implement and evaluate care using specialist knowledge and collaborating with all members of the Multi-disciplinary Team, whilst maintaining a high standard of record keeping.
§ Prescribe appropriate medication within the scope of clinical practice
§ Liaise directly with the melanoma Consultants in the development, implementation and evaluation of individual programmes of care and protocols.
§ Liaise with other skin cancer Nurse Specialists within the North West region to ensure smooth transition of care of patients between Trusts
§ Provide emotional support to patients and their families.
§ Promote patient and public experience feedback through local initiatives to drive innovation and change.
§ Participate in ongoing education and training of other staff within the Trust
2. Educational
§ Educate patients and their families regarding melanoma and related issues.
§ Participate in formal teaching sessions. Participate in pre and post registration nurse education. Assist in the development of nursing practice within the speciality.
§ Provide advice to community support services in patient care needs including information relating to Systemic anti-cancer treatment.
§ Maintain own professional development ensuring educational needs are met.
§ Attend appropriate group meetings and forums to share ideas with nurses in similar roles.
3. Leadership and Management
§ Act as role model and expert resource to patients, carers and staff.
§ Develop effective working relationships with all members of the team to ensure the delivery of an efficient resource.
§ Maintain accurate record system and collect relevant statistical information for service evaluation. Complete annual report to monitor the service. Participate in clinical audit as required.
§ Ensure effective use of stock and equipment with care and economy.
§ Lead where appropriate the establishment of standards for practice and care protocols.
4. Research
§ Develop a sound knowledge base of relevant research ensuring that quality evidence based care in the specialist service for patients with melanoma is provided.
5. Professional
§ Supervise, develop and support the delivery of care for this patient group, maintaining and promoting the highest standards of care.
§ Liaise with the melanoma Clinician and CNS Specialist to develop protocols, carry out audit and ensure patient scare is carried out to the highest possible standard
§ Provide clinical supervision for nurse colleagues and ensure a supervision pathway for own practice.
§ Agree regular objectives with line manager and submit annual report demonstrating progress against targets and undertake annual PDP.
§ Be aware of and comply with NMC code of practice and trust policies.
§ Assist in the development of the specialist nursing service within current changing trends.
6. Communication
§ Maintain regular contact with patients and their families, assessing any change in their care needs. Initiate appropriate referrals as needed.
§ Maintain effective communication with all members of the team within the hospital and external organisations.
§ Liaise with and act as a resource for community services regarding patient care, providing information as required.
§ Liaise with medical staff relating to clinical requirements pertaining to the needs of this patient group.
§ Participate in outpatient clinics as required and cross over for other team members as needed.
§ Produce clear and consistent written information which can be used by Healthcare Professionals to provide consistent advice and maximise the provision of the highest quality of patient care.
The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.
We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.
We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all our activities. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in any of its forms, including slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking. We are fully committed to acting ethically and with transparency in all our business dealings and relationships, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our organisation or supply chains.
All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.
By applying for this post you are agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.
The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.
Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.
You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.