The Role of the Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist: Addressing the challenges to best meet patient needs

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The Role of the Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist
Addressing the challenges to best meet patient
needs

• Rationale background to the study
• The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey
  2010 highlighted that the role of the CNS is
  vital in supporting patients through their cancer
  journey
• It also highlighted the key issues for UCLH
  patients
• Contacting a CNS is difficult
• Some patients with a diagnosis of cancer were not
  allocated a CNS

• Qualitative research
• A trust-wide cancer CNS study day considered how
  the CNS role should evolve to improve the patient
  experience.
• Focus groups considered
• How the introduction of an administration
  assistant could make a CNS more effective
• - How to define and respond to patient
  expectations
• The output from the study day identified five key
  themes
• The role of the CNS needs to be standardised
• The scope of the CNS role needs to be clear to
  patients
• The releasing of direct patient care time is
  essential
• Streamlining care between the CNS and ward staff
• IT can play a role in the better delivery of CNS
  care

• Quantitative research
• Survey Monkey was used to survey 38 cancer CNSs
• Headline Results
• 1. Administration Overload
• 2. Accessing a CNS

- Chasing appointments - Telephone queries (not
necessary need CNS) - Preparing for clinic
Meeting patient
- Accessing clinic rooms - Current patient
caseload -39 - Time constraints - 39 - Not
informed of new patients - 78
19
81
Not meeting patient
UCLH CNS Action Plan
1. Standardising the role 2. Defining patient expectations 3. Releasing time for patient care 4. Working better together 5. Introducing IT
Define the role Produce patient information leaflet Introduce admin support Increase ward staff awareness of patient needs Create online documentation
Update job plans Improve access to CNS Nurses to lead follow up clinics / telephone clinics Increase ward teaching Introduce teleconferencing for shared care
Update job descriptions Create CNS space Perform holistic needs assessment Assist with clinical skills development Produce CNS webpage
Complete information audit and introduce patient prescriptions Develop self-management partnership approach Support discharge planning Create e-Alerts for patient admissions
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Rachel Guilliatt Cancer Services Improvement
Facilitator Kay Eaton Consultant Nurse Cancer
and Supportive Care Vikky Riley Teenage Cancer
Trust Nurse Consultant