Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job summary

Working Full time: 37.5 hours per week

As a lead specialist nurse in Lung Cancer the post holder will be an identified key worker for a patient caseload, accepting referrals to agreed criteria, co-ordinating treatment and care, practicing autonomously as a core member of the Lung Cancer team.

The senior CNS possesses expertise in clinical risk evaluation, change management and the provision of educational support to patients, carers and colleagues across organisational and professional boundaries.

The post holder will be expected to demonstrate a higher level of practice in both her/his direct care of patients and in her/his ability to plan and develop services to support patient care. Utilising the skills of leadership, clinical expertise, evidence-based practice and innovation the post holder will facilitate and deliver care, which is patient centred, safe, and effective.

The post holder may be required to work on other wards/ departments within the Trust at short notice in the event of hospital pressures/major civilian disaster.

The list below is to outline the main duties involved; however, this is subject to change and will vary within the given role. We ask all employees to be flexible in their role, to always ensure we are delivering Safe, Kind and Effective care.

Main duties of the job

• Manage an allocated patient caseload as an autonomous Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist, using advanced clinical assessment, decision-making and specialist nursing skill.
• Deliver nurse-led clinics, consultations and treatments in line with clinical guidelines, policies and evidence-based practice.
• Work closely with the multidisciplinary team (MDT), consultants, GPs, community services and other healthcare professionals to coordinate patient-centred care.
• Provide specialist advice, information and emotional support to patients, relatives and carers, including discussions around diagnosis, treatment, recurrence, progression and prognosis.
• Support patients and families to make informed decisions about their care and manage complex, sensitive and emotive situations professionally.
• Coordinate early and safe discharge planning, referrals and liaison with community services.
• Direct nursing care, including palliative and end-of-life care, and facilitate appropriate referrals.
• Participate in MDT meetings and contribute specialist expertise to lung cancer decision-making.
• Promote evidence-based best practice, service development, education and research, evaluating effectiveness and outcomes.
• Maintain accurate patient records and uphold privacy, dignity, safety and confidentiality.
• Maintain continuing professional development and up-to-date knowledge of advances in lung cancer care.
• Promote patient involvement, feedback, professional collaboration and the sharing of best practice.

About us

The Trust's services are provided from three locations:

o The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 473 general and acute beds.o Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 60 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.o Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employs 5,964 staff (headcount) to provide care and treatment to a population of over 400,000 people living in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire.

The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System. Due to its location on the border with North Wales, the Trust also works closely with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The Trust treats patients from England and some parts of Wales. During 2024/2025, there were approximately 643,000 patient attendances (inpatient, A&E, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery

Job responsibilities

See Job Description for further details.

Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

If a DBS is required for your role, you are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee applies which is payable to the DBS Service.Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

The Trust will not sponsor where the starting salary does not meet immigration rules

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• RN/RSCN Diploma or Degree
• MSc Advanced Practice/Clinical Masters or working towards within 2 academic years of appointment
• Recognised teaching/assessing qualification 998/997 /mentorship
• Relevant specialty related qualification/module

Desirable

• Trained in Advanced Life Support
• Management qualification or equivalent experience

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Speciality knowledge and experience
• Basic knowledge of financial management within the clinical setting.
• Knowledge of professional and NHS issues and an understanding of corporate objectives.
• To complete the Trust toolkit competencies
• Relevant Post Registration clinical experience
• Initiation and implementation of change

Desirable

• CNS mentorship and development
• Countess 20:20 Leadership Programme