CNS Rapid Access Prostate Service

Confined Competition - Internal Applicants Only

Position Summary:

The TUN Directorate at Beaumont Hospital is the largest referral centre in Ireland for the specialities of Transplant, Urology and Nephrology. The Urology Service itself provides investigation and treatment facilities for patients with various types of urological conditions and has a major commitment to the provision of a fully integrated programme of urology care.

The post holder will be responsible for developing, leading and delivering a high quality service for patients with Prostate Cancer acting as a specialist resource in providing advice, support and education through evidence based clinical practice. They will facilitate timely assessment of referrals, appropriate follow of care and ongoing education programmes.

The Prostate Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist will work within the multidisciplinary team to advise and educate nursing and medical staff in the area of prostate cancer.

While being autonomous in the role they must be aware of his/her own scope of practice and the need to refer patients to specialist services. The Prostate Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist is responsible for his/her own professional development to ensure provision of the highest standards of care.

The specialist nurse will carry out assessment of care needs and, through expertise, advice and support patients on their options and suitability for surgery/radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy or surveillance. They will also provide education and resources for patients/families in the management of prostate cancer.

The post will demand excellent leadership and communication skills and professional relationships within all areas of the Urology Service and associated clinical and administrative areas within Beaumont Hospital. There will also be a requirement to network and connect with other Urology Units nationally and internationally if required.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Direct Patient Care:
The CNS will:

• Provide a specialist nursing service for patients with a diagnosis of Prostate Cancer who require support and treatment through the continuum of care.

• Meet patients directly in outpatient clinics to ensure thorough assessment and appropriate plan of care in place.

• Accept appropriate referrals and queries from MDT colleagues.

• Undertake comprehensive patient assessment to include physical, psychological, social and spiritual elements of care using best evidence based practice in urology nursing care.

• Use the outcomes of the patient assessment to develop and implement plans of care in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and the patient, family and/or carer as appropriate.

• Make alterations in the management of patient’s condition in collaboration with the MDT and the patient in line with agreed pathways and policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines (PPPG’s).

• Identify health promotion priorities for the patient, family and/or carer and support patient self-care in line with best evidence. This will include the provision of educational and health promotion material which is comprehensive, easy to understand and meets patients’ needs.

• Communicate with patients, family and /or carer as appropriate, to assess patient’s needs and provide relevant support, information, education, advice and counselling as required.

Indirect Patient Care:
The CNS will:

• Develop referral pathways for patients with Prostate Cancer.
• Act as a contact person for patient/families and other health agencies.
• Participate in case review with MDT colleagues.

• Establish and maintain links with community health providers to support patients in their community (GP/PHN).
• Take a proactive role in the formulation and provision of evidence based PPPGs relating to Prostate cancer nursing care.

• Organise and schedule virtual outpatient nurse led clinics for patients unable to attend the hospital ensuring blood work are kept up to date.
• Maintain accurate clinical records complying with current legislation and best practice.

• Take a lead role in ensuring the service for patients with Prostate cancer are in line with best practice guidelines and the Safer Better Healthcare Standards (HIQA, 2012).

• Enable a rapid and a full a recovery as possible.

• Ensure recovery is sustained, manage side effects of treatment.

• Monitor for recurrence or disease progression.

Patient Advocate:

• Develop and support the concept of advocacy, particularly in relation to patient participation in decision making, thereby enabling informed choice of treatment options.

• Identify and prioritise patients for discussion at MDT meetings, ensuring a holistic approach to cancer treatment options.

• Respect and maintain the privacy, dignity and confidentiality of the patient, family and/or carer.

• Provide an efficient, effective and high quality service, respecting the needs of each individual patient.
• Promote patient/family participation in care, identifying and meeting the learning needs of patients and their family and promote existing resources/services which support patients and their families’ e.g. social services, support groups and entitlements.
• Ensure the provision of psychological support by nursing staff to patient and families and encourage patients who have ongoing psychological problems to self-refer to counselling services /psychosexual counselling and support post treatment.
• Refer to other professionals and sign posting to other suitable support services, e.g., physiotherapy, ED recovery specialists, exercise programmes.
• Ensure adequate liaison by nursing staff with patient/family with regard to patient's occupational and social needs.
• Proactively challenge any interaction which fails to deliver a quality service to patients.

• Facilitate and support the data Manager in the development and implementation of data collection and collation on cancer treatment outcomes and cancer services activity through agreement of the data sets applicable to those cancers as set out by National Cancer Control Programme.

Education and Training:

• Maintain clinical competence in patient management within urology nursing, keeping up-to-date with relevant research to ensure the implementation of evidence- based practice.

• Provide education to patients and their families/significant others on their illness and treatment options based on up to date evidence based best practice. Ensure the availability of appropriate information/educational resources.
• Contribute to the design, development and implementation of education programmes and resources for the patient, family and/or carer in relation to Prostate Cancer.

• Maintain and update knowledge of relevant professional development and all current trends in the speciality of Prostate Cancer/ Urology nursing, and an awareness of future trends.
• Attend relevant conferences and committees, and actively participate in lecturing and dissemination of knowledge.
• Provide mentorship and preceptorship for nursing colleagues as appropriate. Identify training and development needs of staff assigned to the Unit and set objectives for such learning.

• Create exchange of learning opportunities within the MDT in relation to Prostate Cancer using evidence based care delivery through journal clubs, conferences etc.

• Be responsible for addressing own continuing professional development needs.

Audit and Research:
• Identify, initiate and conduct nursing and MDT audit and research projects relevant to the area of urology nursing.

• Identify, critically analyse, disseminate and integrate best evidence relating to care into practice.

• Contribute to nursing/midwifery research on all aspects of Prostate cancer care.

• Monitor, access, utilise and disseminate current relevant research to advise and ensure the provision of informed evidence based practice.

• Develop and maintain audit systems for evaluating the service being provided.
• Ensure evidence based practice using research based current literature and electronic sources.
• Perform research relevant to the service to highlight potential improvements in quality.
• Participate in the collection and collation of statistical and clinical data and prepare an annual report for the service.
• Contribute to service planning and budgetary processes through use of audit data and specialist knowledge.

Consultancy:
• Provide leadership in clinical practice and act as a resource and role model for Prostate Cancer.
• Generate and contribute to the development of clinical standards and guidelines and support implementation of them.

• Develop collaborative working relationships with local and national and international Urology CNS/ Candidate Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner/MDT colleagues as appropriate, developing person centred care pathways to promote the integrated model of care delivery.

• Where appropriate develop and maintain relationships with specialist services in voluntary organisations which support patients in the community.
• Liaise with other health service providers in the development and on-going delivery of the National Urology model of care.

Health and Safety:

These duties must be performed in accordance with local organisational health and safety polices. In carrying out these duties the employee must ensure that effective safety procedures are in place to comply with the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act (2005). Staff must carry out their duties in a safe and responsible manner in line with the local policy documents and as set out in the local safety statement, which must be read and understood.
Quality, Risk and Safety Responsibilities It is the responsibility of all staff to:
• Participate and cooperate with legislative and regulatory requirements with regard to quality, risk and safety
• Participate and cooperate with local quality, risk and safety initiatives as required
• Participate and cooperate with internal and external evaluations of the organisation’s structures, services and processes as required, including but not limited to, The National Hygiene Audit, National Decontamination Audit, Health and Safety Audits and other audits specified by Beaumont Hospital or other regulatory authorities
• Initiate, support and implement quality improvement initiatives in their area which are in keeping with local organisational quality, risk and safety requirements
• Contribute to the development of PPPGs and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations and standards
• Comply with Beaumont Hospital Complaints Policy
• Ensure completion of incident/near miss forms and clinical risk reporting
• Adhere to department policies in relation to the care and safety of any equipment supplied and used to carry out the responsibilities of the role of CNS.

Management/Administration:

Provide an efficient, effective and high quality service, respecting the needs of each patient, family and/or carer

• Effectively manage time and caseload in order to meet changing and developing service needs

• Continually monitor the service to ensure it reflects current needs

• Implement and manage identified changes

• Ensure that confidentiality in relation to patient records is maintained

• Represent the specialist service at local, national and international level as required

• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records and data on all matters pertaining to the planning, management, delivery and evaluation of care

• Ensures coordination of services and take an active role in weekly multidisciplinary meetings

The job description indicates the main functions and responsibilities of the post and is subject to review and amendment. Other specific work not covered in this job description may also be assigned by the Director of Nursing from time to time.

Selection Criteria:

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.
Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory: 

1. Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc
(a) Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:
(i) Be a registered nurse/midwife on the active Register of Nurses and Midwives
held by An Bord Altranais and Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann (Nursing and
Midwifery Board of Ireland) or be eligible to be so registered.

(ii) Be registered in the division(s) of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland
(Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann) Register for which the
application is being made or be entitled to be so registered.
OR
(iii) In exceptional circumstances, which will be assessed on a case by case basis
be registered in another Division of the register of Nurses and Midwives.

(iv) Have a minimum of 1 years’ post registration full time experience or an
aggregate of 1 years’ full time experience in the division of the register in which
the application is being made (taking into account (ii) (iii) if relevant)

(v) Have a minimum of 1 years’ experience or an aggregate of 1 years’ full time
experience in specialist area of Prostate Cancer Care.

(vi) Have successfully completed a post registration programme of study, as
certified by the education provider which verifies that the applicant has achieved
a Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), National Framework of Qualifications
(NFQ) major academic Level 9 or higher award that is relevant to the specialist
area of care (equivalent to 60 ECTS or above), and in line with the requirements
for specialist practice as set out by the National Council for Nursing and
Midwifery 4th ed (2008).

Alternatively provide written evidence from the Higher Education Institute that
they have achieved the number of ECTS credits equivalent to a Level 9 or higher
standard, relevant to the specialist area of care (equivalent to 60 ECTS or
above), and in line with the requirements for specialist practice as set out by the
National Council for Nursing and Midwifery 4th ed (2008).Prostate Cancer of
care prior to application* (See **Note 1 below).

(vii) Be required to demonstrate that they have continuing professional development
(CPD) relevant to the specialist area.

(viii) Have the ability to practice safely and effectively fulfilling his/her professional
responsibility within his/her scope of practice

**Note 1: For Nurses/Midwives who express an interest in CNS/CMS roles and who
currently hold a level 8 educational qualification in the specialist area
(equivalent to 60 ECTS or above), this qualification will be recognised up to
September 2026.

(b) Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability, including a high standard of
suitability and clinical, leadership, managerial and administrative capacity for the proper
discharge of the duties of the office.

2. Annual registration
(i) Practitioners must maintain live annual registration on the appropriate/relevant Division
of the register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board
of Ireland (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann) for the role.

(ii) Practitioners must confirm annual registration with NMBI to the HSE by way of the
annual Service user Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

3. Health
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of
undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a
reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

4. Character
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Desirable

• A full driving licence and access to a car