Slide 1

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 :
1.

Contacting a CNS is difficult

2.

Some patients with a diagnosis of cancer were not allocated a CNS

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

A trust-wide cancer CNS study day considered how the CNS
role should evolve to improve the patient experience.

Survey Monkey was used to survey 38 cancer CNS’s
Headline Results:

Focus groups considered:

1. Administration Overload
- How the introduction of an administration assistant could make a
CNS more effective

- Chasing appointments
- Telephone queries (not
necessary need CNS)

- How to define and respond to patient expectations
The output from the study day identified five key themes

- Preparing for clinic

1.The role of the CNS needs to be standardised
2.The scope of the CNS role needs to be clear to patients
2. Accessing a CNS
- Accessing clinic rooms

3.The releasing of direct patient care time is essential

Meeting
patient

19%

4.Streamlining care between the CNS and ward staff

- Current patient caseload 39%

5. IT can play a role in the better delivery of CNS care
81%

- Time constraints - 39%

Not meeting
patient

- Not informed of new
patients - 78%

UCLH CNS Action Plan
1. Standardising the role
Define the role

Update job plans

Update job descriptions

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2. Defining patient expectations

3. Releasing time for patient care

Create online documentation

Nurses to lead follow up clinics /
telephone clinics

Increase ward teaching

Introduce teleconferencing for shared
care

Perform holistic needs assessment

Assist with clinical skills development

Produce CNS webpage

Develop ‘self-management’ partnership
approach

Support discharge planning

Create e-Alerts for patient admissions

Introduce admin support

Improve access to CNS

Create CNS ‘space’

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Complete information audit and
introduce patient prescriptions

Rachel Guilliatt
Cancer Services Improvement Facilitator
Kay Eaton
Consultant Nurse Cancer and Supportive Care
Vikky Riley

5. Introducing IT

Increase ward staff awareness of
patient needs

Produce patient information leaflet

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4. Working better together

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