Main area Nursing and Midwifery Grade NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract Permanent
Hours Part time - 22.5 hours per week (x3 7.5 hour shifts per week)
Job ref 418-MED5470-JB
Employer Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type NHS
Site Luton Town Luton
Salary £46,148 - £52,809 pa
Salary period Yearly
Closing 04/02/2025 23:59
NHS AfC: Band 7
Job overview
We have an exciting and unique opportunity for a Band 7 Lymphadenopathy Specialist Nurse to join the Haematology Team. The successful applicant will be responsible for the management of those patients presenting with lymphadenopathy or those suspected to have Lymphoma with non-specific symptoms. The Specialist Nurse should have excellent communication skills to be able to provide support to those affected patients. They should be able to guide, liaise and provide expert clinical knowledge to other departments, teams, wards and community services to ensure that patients are being treated and managed in an appropriate timely manner meeting stringent targets for cancer diagnoses. The specialist nurse will undertake nurse led clinics, reviewing and clinically assessing those patients referred into the service, allowing efficiencies to take place, avoid breaches and achieve better outcomes for patients.
Main duties of the job
1. Review and clinically assess referred patients in a Haematology nurse led Lymphadenopathy clinic, allowing efficiencies to take place, avoid breaches, shorten waiting times and achieve better patient outcomes.
2. Act as a keyworker for a clinical caseload of patients, providing easy access for ongoing support.
3. Work autonomously providing expert knowledge, support and advice to other clinicians regarding suspected Lymphoma patients or those with lymphadenopathy.
4. Support cancer services with meeting targets for cancer diagnosis.
5. Support inpatients who are suspected to have Lymphoma and navigate their investigation pathway whilst liaising with ward staff.
6. Actively track all appropriate patients on a clear and concise database, ensuring it remains up to date and can be used for auditing purposes.
7. Liaise with the Haematology consultants on a weekly basis to discuss the caseload of patients, provide updates and further decision making.
8. Work closely with the Haematology cancer team notifying them of any newly diagnosed Lymphoma patients.
9. Request and review fundamental blood tests, taking appropriate action.
10. To be present at consultation for new Lymphoma patients when required at the request of the Haematology consultant.
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. 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.
Our Values
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. Act as an advocate for patients, supporting them throughout the lymphadenopathy pathway at a possible time of significant anxiety.
2. Develop nurse led clinics for those patient referred with lymphadenopathy or suspected to have lymphoma with non-specific symptoms.
3. Minimise diagnostic and treatment delays for patients with suspicious lymphadenopathy.
4. Assist in improving cancer targets to achieve early diagnosis.
5. Work closely with the MDT co-ordinators, providing updates as requested.
6. Be responsible for assessing patients physical, psychological and social needs and signposting them to relevant networks.
7. Respond to unpredictable clinical events and take the necessary corrective action.
8. Monitor and maintain high standards of documentation and record keeping.
9. Establish and maintain effective communication with patients and carers/relatives and professionals across health and social services.
10. Communicate effectively with the wider team, sharing ideas, information and feedback regarding the lymphadenopathy pathway.
11. Request appropriate imaging for diagnostic purposes.
Managerial/Leadership
1. Ensure your own clinical practice is patient centred and evidence based in accordance with the NMC code of practice.
2. Contribute to the development of the lymphadenopathy pathway and ongoing review.
3. Promote a culture that supports patient centred care and patient empowerment.
4. Actively participate in MDTs, acting as the patient advocate and representing nursing and patient views.
5. Develop performance dashboard reports and disseminate feedback to clinical teams on pathway performance and outcomes.
Education
1. Provide education to trust departments and community services surrounding the lymphadenopathy pathway and referring process.
2. Demonstrate knowledge on lymphadenopathy and lymphoma and be willing to learn and expand expertise in this area.
3. Take responsibility for life-long learning and personal development, engaging in learning and development opportunities.
Service Improvement
1. Work closely with local and tertiary hospitals to deliver continuing patient care.
2. Assist the trust and cancer services with working towards the faster diagnosis framework to enable a more robust and efficient diagnostic pathway for those patients with a suspected lymphoma diagnosis.
3. Assist in the long term plan ambitions for cancer, achieving early diagnosis and improve patient experience.
4. Develop new skills in response to emerging knowledge and techniques.
5. Promote patient feedback to drive innovation and change.
Research & Audit
1. Influences and participates in development of policy and clinical guidelines.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Registered Nurse, with BSc or Masters level or equivalent level of experience.
* Evidence of further professional development or working towards BSc/Masters.
* History and Assessment Taking qualification or equivalent.
* Working towards Masters level qualification.
* Non-medical Prescriber.
* Teaching and assessing qualification/Mentorship.
* Advanced communication skills.
Experience
* Experience at band 6 or above.
* Experience working within an MDT.
* Up to date and evidenced based knowledge of current clinical and professional practice.
* Evidence of working autonomously.
* Experience of working within nurse led clinics.
* Experience working within cancer services/Haematology.
* Experience of working within straight to test.
* Previous NHS experience.
* Participation in service development and implementation of change.
* Experience of developing and undertaking audit.
Knowledge
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
* Evidence of applying current research into practice.
* Excellent understanding and awareness of confidentiality.
* Confidence in own knowledge base and understanding of when to seek guidance.
* Knowledge of cancer targets and pathways.
* Able to analyse data and provide written reports.
Personal Skills
* Team focused/player.
* Ability to work under pressure.
* Ability to deal with complex clinical scenarios.
Other
* Open/Reflective/Warm.
* Reliable, Adaptable and Dependable.
* Flexible approach to work.
* Ability to prioritise own workload.
It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.
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. Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
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