Associate Clinical Nurse Specialist for the Upper GI Team

Job summary

The role of Associate Clinical Nurse Specialist plays a key role in providing expert nursing care, support, and coordination for patients diagnosed with Upper GI cancers, such as oesophageal, gastric, pancreatic, and hepatobiliary cancers.

The post holder will support the specialist nurse service for patients with cancer and their families from the point of diagnosis onwards. They will provide ongoing advice and support, under the direction of the Clinical Nurse Specialists to enable patients to make informed decisions about their management and care. This post will be mainly designated to one tumour site but also works across tumour sites therefore providing flexibility according to service need and widens the experience of the post holder.

The post holder will be developed using the ACCEND (Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development) Framework and will be expected to practice in accordance with the Four Pillars of Nursing: Clinical Practice, Leadership & Management, Education, and Research & Evidence-Based Practice.

Main duties of the job

Clinical Responsibilities:

• Act as a keyworker for upper GI cancer patients, providing specialist nursing support and education.
• Offer holistic assessments and develop individualized care plans for patients.
• Provide emotional support and symptom management throughout the patient journey.
• Assist with the coordination of diagnostic tests, treatment plans, and follow-ups.
• Support patients undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or palliative care.
• Offer telephone advice and triage services to patients and families.

• Work closely with oncologists, surgeons, dietitians, palliative care teams, and other healthcare professionals.
• Participate in MDT meetings to discuss patient cases and treatment plans.
• Act as a liaison between different departments to ensure seamless care for patients.

• Provide patients and their families with clear information about diagnosis, treatment options, and symptom management.
• Advocate for patient needs within the healthcare system.
• Organise patient support groups or educational sessions.

• Contribute to audits, research, and quality improvement initiatives related to upper GI cancer care.
• Help develop protocols and guidelines to enhance patient pathways.
• Stay updated with the latest evidence-based practices in upper GI oncology nursing.

About us

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in ourWellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.

Candidate Information Pack: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/