Job Description

Title:                            Clinical Nurse Specialist in Breast care

Area of Assignment:   Breast care Services

Reports to:                  Oncology Unit Manager

Accountable to:         Director of Nursing

 

An overview of Breast Cancer Services at the Beacon Hospital.

The aim of the Breast care service at the Beacon Hospital is to provide a high standard of treatment and care to Breast Cancer and Non-Cancer patients.

The Breast care service at the Beacon Hospital Cancer Centre shall facilitate patient transition through the various specialities:

• Surgery
• Medical Oncology
• Radiation Oncology

 

In order that the Breast care operates efficiently, a member of the core personnel required shall be that of a Breast care Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).

As outlined in the O’Higgins Report (2006), the Breast care Clinical Nurse Specialist will provide a quality focused, seamless service for the patient from the point of referral.  The Breast care Clinical Nurse Specialist shall work exclusively in Breast care and shall be an integrated part of the team.  This specialist nurse will encompass a major clinical focus, which comprises of assessment planning, developing and evaluation of care given to patients and their families in hospital, community and outpatient settings. 

 

Main role, duties and responsibilities of the Breast care Clinical Nurse Specialist:

1. To provide specialist knowledge, expertise and care to Breast cancer patients.
2. To offer advice and support recognising the differences in the psychosocial impact of a breast cancer diagnosis.
3. To ensure continual optimal care for inpatients and out-patients and their families.
4. To assess, plan, implement and evaluate all aspects of the patient’s physical, psychological and social needs. 
5. Monitor patients on an ongoing basis, to evaluate outcomes and adjust nursing care practice to ensure optimum co-ordination and delivery of care. 
6. The Breast care CNS shall provide pre and post operative counselling, fitting of prosthesis both temporary and permanent when required.
7. To provide pre and post treatment care and support including in-depth information re; treatment options, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endocrine treatment.
8. To assess, plan, implement, and evaluate all aspects of the patient’s physical, psychological and social needs maintaining autonomous practice.
9. To ensure that all patients are provided with necessary information to assist them in decision making, eg breast reconstruction.
10. To develop and participate in family history clinics, follow-up and results clinics.
11. Provide practical information on all aspects of altered image, which can be caused by the disease and treatment e.g. surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and endocrine therapy.
12. To keep accurate, legible records and be aware of the legal implications of these documents.
13. To review Breast Care referrals in collaboration with the Lead Consultant.
14. To liaise closely with the patient’s primary health care teams.
15. To demonstrate ability to participate in multi-disciplinary conferences with all professionals involved in delivery of patient care.  The Breast care CNS shall act as a patient advocate in their absence, using knowledge and skills to co-ordinate continuity of care.
16. To establish and monitor standards of nursing practice in relation to ensuring best practice.
17. To attend the Triple Assessment Clinic.
18. To ensure all patients attending the triple assessment clinic are fully aware of what to expect, to provide patients with verbal and written information.
19. To work in collaboration with the Surgical, Medical and Radiation Oncology Teams to develop care pathways, implement best practice guidelines and standards of care.
20. Provides leadership in clinical practice and acts as a resource and role model for specialist practice.

 

Management:

1. To manage and lead the breast care nursing service ensuring appropriate service provision at all times.
2. To independently manage own caseload of patients and associated responsibilities.
3. To ensure that policies, protocols, and guidelines for Breast cancer and Non Cancer patients are developed and implemented.
4. To identify the service development needs on six monthly bases. Development needs to be submitted to Oncology Unit Manager for service planning purposes.
5. To represent the Breast Care Nursing Service and to influence the strategic direction of breast care issues.
6. To ensure a safe and healthy environment is maintained for patients and staff involved with Breast care service at the Beacon Hospital and to identify and intervene proactively where circumstances contribute to an unsafe environment for patients and staff and bring instances to the attention of the Assistant Director of Nursing.

 

Personal and Professional Development: 

1. To develop the required skills and knowledge to support the service needs within the scope of professional practice.
2. To undertake appropriate further training to enhance nursing practice within the specialist area.
3. Identifies own continuing professional development needs and engages accordingly.

 

Education:

1. To possess highly specialised knowledge regarding breast disease.  This knowledge shall be acquired through relevant study and experience.
2. To provide an educational service for patients and their families, formally and informally.
3. To incorporate health promotion principles into all aspects of nursing care.
4. To assist with the planning and development of specialty courses and to teach on other relevant educational courses.
5. To participate in teaching programmes and in-service training programmes for all staff.
6. To ensure adequate patient education material is available and contribute to developing new educational material where required.
7. Recognise the opportunity for clinical supervision and access if appropriate.

 

Quality Assurance, Audit and Research:

1. To facilitate a high quality specialist service through monitoring and audit, and through the maintenance of patient care, and to enhance the interface between staff, patients and visitors
2. To initiate and audit the clinical effectiveness of the Breast care services in conjunction with the Medical Oncology Team and to publish outcomes.
3. Ensure that relevant statistics are collected, collated, updated and highlighted, pertinent to individual caseloads and referral to breast care service.
4. Ensure that clinical practice, procedures and standards of care are evidence based and remain dynamic, ensuring quality service development to meet patient’s needs. These should be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis.
5. Encourage, imitate and participate in nursing research where appropriate.
6. To evaluate findings and assist with implementation of necessary change to improve the service.
7. To maintain awareness of current developments in the areas of Breast Care.
8. To ensure the practice of good communication with colleagues and patients at all times to effectively co-ordinate service provision and optimise the Beacon Hospitals image.
9. To provide updates of service reports to the Oncology Unit Manager and Consultants.
10. To assist in the development of an annual service audit day.
11. Contributes to service planning and budgetary processes through use of audit, data and specialist knowledge.

 

Confidentiality:

1. All information concerning patients and staff must be held in strict confidence and may not be divulged to any unauthorised person at any time, unless to do so in the best interest of the individual.
2. Computer data should only be accessed if authorised and is necessary as part of your work.

 

Governance:

The post holder will operate at all times to high standards of probity.  This will include compliance with;

• Health and safety regulations
• All policies and procedures approved by the Beacon Hospital
• Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act
• Work within limitations of the role.
• An Bord Altranais Professional Code of Conduct
• National Cancer Strategy and the O’Higgins Report.
• National Cancer Control Programme.
• National Quality Assurance Standards for Symptomatic Breast Disease Services- Health Information and Quality Authority.

 

For the purpose of this post the post holder will have achieved competence in the CNS domains as regulated by the National Council for Nursing and Midwifery.

 

The post holder will be expected to:

• Support the aims and vision of the Beacon Hospital and the Beacon Hospital Cancer Centre
• Act with honesty and integrity at all times
• Be a positive ambassador for the hospital
• Demonstrate high standards of personal conduct
• Value and respect colleagues, other members of staff and patients.
• Work with others to develop and improve our services

 

This job description is not intended to be a complete list of duties and responsibilities but is a guide for information to the job.  The post holder may be required, after consultation, to carry out other related tasks, which may not be specifically mentioned above.

 

Employee Profile for the Post of Clinical Nurse Specialist – Breast care

 

Core Domain	Essential	Desirable
Qualifications   Professional Training and Development   Skills, Knowledge, Abilities         Interest/motivation   Commitment	An Bord Altranais Registration H.Dip in Oncology Nursing (Breast care) Minimum of 5 years post registration experience. 2 years in the area of medical oncology 3 years in the specialist area of Breast care   Excellent communications skills Excellent time management and organisational skills. Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team Ability to work alone and organise own caseload. Ability to work under pressure Ability to initiate and manage change Good IT and computer skills   Interest in Breast care services and development of service for future. Flexible towards working hours.	BNS   Management Development     Course in teaching and assessing in clinical practice. Experience in research