Job summary
The Non-Specific Symptom Pathway (NSSP) offers a single point of access to a diagnostic pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms. The post holder will need to work in close collaboration with care of the elderly Consultant at North Bristol NHST Trust and, Primary and secondary care to support a tailored pathway of clinically relevant diagnostic tests towards a timely diagnosis. The post holder will utilise skills of clinical expertise, education and management to ensure a high quality service for patients, carers and staff.

The NSSP CNS will undertake a pivotal role alongside the Pathway Navigator, liaising with patients who are referred, acting as the main point of contact, offering support and keeping patients informed at each stage. Once diagnosis is known, to refer to the appropriate team or back to the GP's for ongoing management ensuring a seamless transition of care. The post holder will work closely with the NSSP GP to support triage of referrals, liaising with colleagues within diagnostic services across Trusts to ensure that investigations and tests are timely and co-ordinated.

This post would be open to nurses with primary or secondary care experience as much of the role focuses on timely telephone triage and detailed record keeping. Whilst office based initially, WFH days could be considered for the right candidate and this role is a great step-up into a career within Oncology.

Main duties of the job
The NSSP Clinical Nurse Specialist role is varied and constantly developing to meet the speciality needs and evolving site specific referral pathways within Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. You will be required to work autonomously at times and will need to utilise exceptional organisational and communication skills to guide patients, their families and carers through the pathway.

The role involves working with a small proportion of patients who will be diagnosed with cancer or other urgent diagnoses requiring quick and decisive treatment plans including possible urgent hospital admission. The nature of communication required is sensitive and therefore a high degree of empathy and understanding is required. Advance communication skills need to be used to deliver potentially distressing information to patients and carers, and provide them with advice and emotional support within in the community, utilising appropriate primary and secondary care services when required.

As a NSSP Clinical Nurse Specialist you will be using your expertise on cancer diagnostic pathways along with general medical knowledge to support patients, their carers and other health care professionals within an outpatient setting.

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities
The post holder will collect and present data to evaluate and demonstrate effectiveness and value of this new service. They will also assist with the collation and review of the pre-existing patient feedback survey for NSSP. There are opportunities to assist with service development including the setting up of weekly clinics. The NSSP service intends to align the NSSP pathway alongside other cancer pathways such as the Neuro Endocrine Tumour diagnostic pathway.

The NSSP CNS will work alongside the NSSP team working closely with the NSSP Patient Navigator and two part time GPs.

For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and person specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential

• Current NMC Registration
• 1st Degree In nursing or health related subject, willing to undertake/ working towards

Desirable

• Qualification in Teaching and Assessing

Skills and Abilities
Essential

• Organisation and management skills
• Teaching
• Ability to work effectively under pressure
• Ability to problem solve
• Flexibility, adaptability to meet needs of a changing service
• Ability to work alone or as part of a team
• Ability to cope with emotional issues presented in the course of work, and to support others
• Knowledge of national and local specialty specific issues
• IT skills including use of email and Microsoft office packages
• Act as a role model and as a mentor/assessor
• Innovative and participates with practice and policy change
• Awareness of professional responsibilities to self and others
• Commitment to the development and provision of high quality nursing care
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Awareness of current national changes in nursing / NHS

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Appropriate post registration experience in nursing, speciality
• Appropriate proven leadership and management experience
• Relevant post registration experience in triaging and assessing patients either face to face or over the telephone
• Experience as preceptor / mentor

Desirable

• Experience of undertaking research or audit projects
• Evidence of commitment to research based practice or evidence of project work undertaken
• Experience of supporting patients when diagnosed with cancer either in diagnostic workup or supporting when cancer diagnosed

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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).