Teenagers and Young Adults CNS

We have an exciting opportunity to join the TYA team delivering care to TYA patients with a range of Cancers including Brain Tumours, and more. The TYA CNS post holder will work within the busy and dynamic TYA team covering both the inpatient and outpatient setting based at the Christie Hospital and Greater Manchester Designated Hospital Sites.

The successful candidate will be highly motivated and driven to improve patient care and experience and will have significant nursing experience within the medical and oncology setting.

The candidate will need to have a 3 years plus experience in oncology/haematology and have a foundation in caring for TYA patients 16-25 and be able to demonstrate expert knowledge and leadership abilities.

Main duties of the job

• Provide expert knowledge and support in the care and treatment of a diverse caseload of TYA patients with Cancer.
• Demonstrate a highly specialist knowledge and skills in the care, treatment planning and management of TYA patients with a range of malignancies with a focus on brain Tumours.
• Demonstrate specialist knowledge and skills in the acute care and management of patients receiving SACT.
• Provide inpatient, outpatient and home visit support to TYA patients across the North West whilst based at the Christie Hospital and caring for patients across the Greater Manchester Designated hospitals.
• Request investigations, procedures and make appropriate referrals maintaining relevant clinical records.
• Provide clinical expertise for developing and enhancing the TYA service.
• Work alongside the medical, AHP and nursing teams, maintaining good communication and collaboration between the various multidisciplinary teams within the Christie and Greater Manchester Designated Hospitals.
• To be a highly visible and approachable role model, ensuring that best practice is disseminated throughout the clinical areas.

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL

• Provide high quality care and support, acting as a key worker to TYA patients diagnosed with cancer, with a focus on malignant brain tumours and treated at the TYA Principal Treatment Centre and within the Greater Manchester Designated hospitals.
• Provide emotional, psychosocial and clinical support (as appropriate) from the point of diagnosis, during and after treatment, fulfilling the role of Key Worker, using knowledge and skills as appropriate to ones professional accountability, for example counselling skills.
• Ensure there is clear communication with all necessary community teams, leading to a seamless support package that provides TYAs and their families with the individual and appropriate support whether they are in hospital or at home.
• Advise patients/carers regarding any aspect of treatment plan, side effects, symptom control, discharge planning and palliative care.
• Ensure newly diagnosed patients are followed up in the Community setting to ensure provision of information is of a high standard and psychosocial support is adequate from the time of diagnosis.
• Liaise closely with Primary Care Services to ensure patients receive a high standard of clinical nursing care and provision of resources in the community according to the patients individual need.
• Act as a link between the in-patient wards at the PTC and GM Designated hospitals and the community services, providing high quality information between the two so that all teams possess the necessary patient information.
• Where appropriate ensure new patients are supported and engaged with all members of MDT throughout the patients cancer trajectory, taking an active role in contributing to multi-disciplinary meetings and engaging with other members of MDT in the best interests of the TYA patient.
• Ensure that appropriate patients receive the highest standard of palliative care and provide support and advice to community care professionals as necessary and appropriate to ensure where possible a seamless service between hospital and home.
• Adhere to Trust Policies and Procedures and where appropriate escalate worries and concerns to line manager(s).
• Provide all adolescents/ young adults with cancer opportunity to receive home visits as individual need required.
• Liaise closely with schools/colleges/universities as appropriate acting as a resource in TYA cancer care and providing a supportive role as required.
• Provide psychosocial support to TYAs and their carers respecting their diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Ensure appropriate families have access to information about bereavement support services that are available.
• Facilitate effective communication between multidisciplinary hospital staff and community staff.
• In the role of TYA key worker be present in outpatient clinics based in the Palatine Treatment Centre and within designated hospital clinic environments to ensure seamless and high quality TYA support. The TYA key worker will support TYA patients and their families, as well as providing expert TYA cancer care advice to clinical teams across the PTC and GM designated hospital network.
• Ensure that patients are being offered a holistic needs assessment at the beginning and end of their treatment, and at other key moments through their treatment.
• Support TYA cancer patients to attend the Your Way Forward programme, or other similar Health and Wellbeing Event.
• Have good awareness of Safeguarding within TYA cancer care and ensure that you have knowledge of the safeguarding policies that exist.

EDUCATIONAL / SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

• Attend all relevant MDT meetings related to patient caseload including the GM Neurology MDT to ensure TYA patients are identified and referred into the TYA service for support. The Keyworker will provide promotion of the role and support available to all TYA patients and ensure that this is advocated for at the earliest opportunity.
• Be aware of change at National and local level and participate in ensuring service meets best practice measures.
• Contribute to educational programmes at the Principal Treatment Centre and within GM Designated hospital and community footprint to ensure that a wider understanding in the care of TYAs with cancer and the unique needs of this age group.
• Identify training needs of non-specialist Christie and Designated Hospital colleagues and help to develop educational programmes or working alongside existing teams, ensure care can be delivered safely and competently at home eg. Management of central lines.
• Participate in the theoretical and practical teaching of pre/post registration students as required.
• Offer guidance and teaching to Ward based staff caring for TYAs through formal and informal presentations.
• Attend and participate in the TYA service meetings.
• Support the nursing contribution to service development, helping to ensure the pursuit of excellence in care.
• As necessary and appropriate support the work of colleagues or the Christie Hospital in the development and formulation of standards of care associated with the care of TYA patients.
• Take responsibility for life-long learning through clinical supervision and performance development review meetings, identifying ones own educational needs, for example participation in TYA courses from CCLG and beyond.
• Whenever possible attend the Clinical Nurse Specialist forums that meet regularly within the PTC and withing the GM Designated hospitals.

PROFESSIONAL

• Act in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct and other guiding documents at all times.
• Act as role model presenting professional image at all times.
• Participate in the recruitment and selection process as required.
• Ensure own awareness of risk management issues relating to TYA oncology and ensure identified risks are addressed.
• Participate in individual performance review.
• Ensure all hospital policies and Department of Health Guidelines are followed at all times.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Ensure own continuous professional development and keep up to date with current nursing issues and ensure that all mandatory training is up to date.
• Be fully aware of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust objectives and corporate plan.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• 1st Level registered Nurse
• Palliative Care Certificate
• Post registration certificate in cancer nursing
• Membership of relevant National Bodies
• Counselling Cert
• Teenage and Young Adult post registration qualification

Experience

• Previous nursing experience, including working with adolescents/young adults with cancer
• Palliative care experience with adolescents/young adults
• Counselling experience
• Experience of caring for patients with Brain Tumours

Skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to work autonomously
• Ability to present information to professional groups.
• Good organisational and prioritising skills
• IT Skills; for eg, competent in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
• Teaching skills
• Ability to formulate standards
• Evidence of effective team working across professional and organisational boundaries.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of clinical and professional issues in TYA Cancer Care
• Knowledge of local and national policy/guidelines relating to adolescents
• Knowledge of TYA Development & coping strategies
• Knowledge of Clinical Audit process

Other

• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.