Job summary
An exciting opportunity has become available to join and support the Head & Neck Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Team as a full-time, fixed-term post for 12 months. This role offers the chance to work within a specialist multidisciplinary service, providing expert care and support to patients with head and neck cancer throughout their treatment journey.

The successful candidate will work closely with the wider Head & Neck team, supporting service delivery, enhancing patient experience, and contributing to the ongoing development of high-quality cancer care. This is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated individual who is passionate about delivering compassionate, patient-centred care within a specialist setting.

Experience or knowledge of caring for patients with tracheostomies and laryngectomies, including airway management and rehabilitation, would be advantageous due to the specialist nature of the service.

Main duties of the job

• Provide and receive complex, sensitive / highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, barriers to understanding
• Facilitate communication, which results in clear responsibilities being identified within the multi-professional team
• The post holder will act as a role model for other nurses by demonstrating specialist knowledge/skills and promote opportunities for their professional development
• Communicate highly sensitive condition related information to patients, relatives providing empathy and reassurance
• There is a requirement to exchange verbal and written information with patients, staff and carers requiring tact and diplomacy.
• It is expected that ALL employees of the Trust will take part in the appraisal process each year with the first appraisal taking place within the first 6 months from appointment.
• The post holder will provide clinical leadership within this area of care and will lead and develop specialist education.
• The post holder will act as the key worker and liaise with other healthcare professionals to provide the best possible specialist care for their patients

About us
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is one of the largest and most modern in the country. Based across two sites, Royal Stoke in Stoke-on-Trent and County Hospital in Stafford, we are proud to serve around three million people and we're highly regarded for our facilities, teaching and research. We are the specialist centre for major trauma for the North Midlands and North Wales.

All of our employees make a valuable contribution regardless of role here at UHNM and we are proud of our wide range of development packages aimed at ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their true potential.

UHNM create and encourage a culture of inclusion, providing equal opportunities for career development that are fair and transparent. We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture in which all staff feel valued and respected. In return we ask all of our employees to make a commitment to the values, co-created by or staff, patients and carers, and that unite us as a Trust.

At University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust we know that investing in, supporting and developing our staff has a direct impact on the quality of care that we deliver. Our employees are as important as our patients and the population that we serve.

Job responsibilities

• Provide and receive complex, sensitive / highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, barriers to understanding
• Facilitate communication, which results in clear responsibilities being identified within the multi-professional team
• The post holder will act as a role model for other nurses by demonstrating specialist knowledge/skills and promote opportunities for their professional development
• Communicate highly sensitive condition related information to patients, relatives providing empathy and reassurance
• There is a requirement to exchange verbal and written information with patients, staff and carers requiring tact and diplomacy.
• It is expected that ALL employees of the Trust will take part in the appraisal process each year with the first appraisal taking place within the first 6 months from appointment.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Educated to degree level

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working across boundaries to develop networks with key stakeholders

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of tracheostomy and laryngectomy care

Desirable

• Knowledge of head and neck cancer pathways.

Skills
Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
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).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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).