Breast Cancer Care

Breast Cancer Care

Job Description

Title: Clinical Nurse Specialist (primary breast cancer and group services)

Accountable To: Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist

Section: Clinical Directorate

Location: Southwark, London

Salary: Agenda for Change (AFC) Band 7

Contract: Permanent - Full time (part time hours will be considered)

Hours: 35 hrs per week, Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm with occasional evening/weekend work

About Breast Cancer Care:

Breast Cancer Care is here for anyone affected by breast cancer. We bring people together, provide information and support, and campaign for improved standards of care. We use our understanding of people's experience of breast cancer and our clinical expertise in everything we do.

Breast Cancer Care’s Vision and Mission:

We want every person affected by breast cancer to get the best treatment, information and support.

Nursing at Breast Cancer Care:

Professional development including opportunities to attend national and international conferences and training courses is encouraged and supported. Nurses receive training to undertake a variety of direct and indirect client services ensuring they retain regular client contact, keep up to date and have clinical credibility. Professional development is enhanced by the opportunity to gain experience in media work and in the production of written and web based publications. All nurses are supported by line management and professional mentorship from a nurse, and have access to regular group supervision.

About the Post:

The post-holder will be a member of the Clinical Directorate which includes a Clinical Director, Clinical Nurse Specialists and Breast Care Nurses.

The post holder will act as a specialist resource for Breast Cancer Care, clients, healthcare professionals and the wider public on the subject of primary breast cancer. This involves health care professional training and policy in relation to primary breast cancer and acting as a link with our specialist group services including telephone support groups, web based discussion forums and live chat. Maintaining an up to date knowledge of treatment advancements and care of patients with breast cancer will be an integral part of contributing to delivery of optimum services.

The post holder will provide information and support to clients with breast cancer or benign breast disease by phone and email (usually 3-5 sessions per week minimum).

The post holder will also be involved in writing publications, research, quality monitoring of services, working with our press department and writing journal articles.

Flexibility:

In order to work effectively in a changing environment, flexibility is required from the post-holder. Any other tasks that may be requested will be at the same level of responsibility and terms and conditions of employment.

The post-holder must be prepared to travel throughout the UK and to occasionally work varying hours. The helpline service is run throughout the week and on Saturday mornings. Team training occurs three times a year on Saturdays. Telephone support groups and Live Chats may be held in the evenings.

Main Responsibilities

Core Dimensions

Communication

· To work on relevant Breast Cancer Care Services, including the Helpline and Ask The Nurse email services, providing information and support about all aspects of breast health and breast cancer and related issues to clients.

· To co-facilitate telephone support groups (TSGs).

· To co-facilitate live chat sessions.

· To work with the Breast Cancer Care press office – dealing with the media, answering questions or sourcing information as required.

· To act as a link for the clinical team for group services (specifically TSGs, discussion forums and live chat services).

· To maintain confidentiality.

Personal and people development

· To read and keep informed of current developments in the field of breast cancer and breast health, and to keep up to date through the use of facilities and resources available internally and externally.

· To keep up to date on a national and global perspective on health care policy and provision and breast cancer.

· To work closely with the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) (1:1 services helpline and client e mail) and wider nursing team.

· To contribute to clinical training for all new starters on the helpline.

· To organise and present training sessions and seminars about breast cancer for staff and volunteers at Breast Cancer Care.

· To attend/contribute to conferences and internal or external training courses as required.

· To be an effective member of the clinical team, presenting a positive impression of the team and the service.

· To recognise, respect and promote the different roles and diversity of the individuals within the team.

· To seek and reflect on feedback from the team and adapt as necessary.

· To contribute to the online journal club run by Breast Cancer Care’s nursing team.

· To assess one’s own educational needs as part of the appraisal process.

· To be responsible for maintaining own portfolio.

· To attend internal meetings as required.

· To be competent in most administrative tasks and maintain accurate records.

· To act as a key resource for primary breast cancer and maintain an awareness of current developments in oncology breast cancer and health care provision, especially in relation to primary breast cancer.

· To attend monthly group supervision.

Health and safety

· To adhere to Breast Cancer Care’s health and safety policy.

Service improvement

· To act as an internal resource for staff.

· To act as a clinical link across the organisation with developments in live chat and web based forums.

· To act as an expert resource for other nurses, helping them to ensure their work is evidenced based and their knowledge is up-to-date.

· In conjunction with the nursing team, to contribute to the induction, support and development of nurses and helpliner staff working in the team.

· In conjunction with the New Media and Publications teams, to contribute to patient information/publications including writing and reviewing factsheets, leaflets and web based material and being involved in the updating and proof reading of other Breast Cancer Care publications.

· To contribute to expanding and updating internal resources such as web content and library references.

Quality

· To take a role in conjunction with the CNS (1:1 services helpline and client e mail) in the clinical aspects of quality monitoring the helpline and ATN services.

· To review internal and external literature and other cancer information as required.

· To hold responsibility for clinical content of own helpline calls and emails.

· To contribute to the evaluation and audit of the clinical content of training.

· To work within the NMC Scope of Professional Practice and Code of Conduct.

Equality and diversity

· To operate within the organisational equal opportunities policy framework and implement the policy within this area of work.

General supervision

· Act as a team leader supervising the daily practice of the helpline team.

· Act as the Clinical Team Lead for TSGs, Live Chat and discussion forum services.

· Contribute to the clinical development of the nursing and helpline team at Breast Cancer Care.

· Contribute to the recruitment, selection and induction of the helpline team.

· Work with the Head of our Helpline and ATN services to assess individual helpline team members using the quality monitoring tool, providing feedback to the helpline team member.

Breast Cancer Care

Person Specification - Clinical Nurse Specialist (primary breast cancer/group services)

Essential Criteria:

Knowledge and experience

· Registered General Nurse.

· Educated to degree level or equivalent.

· ENB A11 (Breast Care Nursing) or equivalent (evidence of either stand alone module in Breast Care Nursing or as part of a degree programme).

· Current or very recent experience of working directly with breast cancer patients for a minimum of two years.

· Ability to demonstrate an excellent knowledge of breast cancer management and issues.

· Good understanding of psychosocial issues in relation to breast cancer.

· Understanding of the issues relevant to a voluntary sector organisation.

· Good understanding of the skills needed to give information and support by telephone and email to those with breast cancer, their relatives and friends.

· An understanding of and a commitment to the support needs of those affected by breast cancer.

· Practical experience of researching information and writing for publication.

· A working knowledge and experience of the communication skills necessary to provide support within this area.

· Experience of formal or informal teaching and a willingness to contribute to internal and external training courses.

Personal attributes and skills

· Excellent interpersonal skills.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative.

· Ability to work under pressure.

· Willingness to occasionally work variable hours.

· Willingness to adapt from a clinical environment to the voluntary sector.

· Understanding of the equal opportunities issues in relation to breast cancer and a commitment to equality of opportunity.

· Ability to show tact and discretion when dealing with sensitive and confidential information.

· Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative.

· An understanding of and commitment to, the maintenance of confidentiality regarding client information.

· An ability to manage projects and meet deadlines.

Desirable Criteria:

· Relevant professional qualifications.

· Attainment of Masters level qualification.

· Formal counselling qualification.

· Knowledge and experience of working on a helpline and the support skills necessary to provide support within this arena.

· Experience of maintaining the clinical accuracy of a helpline team with mixed professional and personal experience.

· Experience of facilitating groups.

· Experience of service development.

· Experience of providing information and support via a telephone helpline and understanding of the potential needs of helpline callers.

· Experience of providing information and support via email.

· Experience of working within the voluntary sector (paid or unpaid).

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Updated September 2009