Clinical Nurse Specialist – Thoracic Surgery &… at Blackrock… · Lucan

Job Title: Clinical Nurse Specialist - Thoracic Surgery & Lung Cancer

Department: Nursing

Job Function: Nursing

Reporting to: Assistant Director of Nursing / Director of Nursing

Location: Hermitage Clinic

Job Purpose

As a key member of the Nursing team, the post holder will demonstrate excellent clinical skills, promote quality patient care and work collaboratively with nursing, medical and multidisciplinary teams, including Consultants and GPs. The CNS will provide comprehensive, evidence-based and person-centred care, acting as a role model for excellence in clinical practice and supporting continuity of care throughout the patient journey.

The role requires specialist clinical knowledge together with strong skills in communication, leadership, education, research, audit, patient advocacy and service development. The post holder will contribute to continuous quality improvement and support the development of services in line with organisational objectives.

The CNS will deliver care in accordance with the five core concepts outlined in the Framework for the Establishment of Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialist Posts, 4th edition (NCNM, 2008): Clinical Focus, Patient/Client Advocacy, Education and Training, Audit and Research, and Consultant, alongside relevant NMBI (2025) standards and ONMSD guidance supporting CNS/cCNS roles (2026).

Job Background/Context

Blackrock Health Hermitage Clinic is a state of the art 160 bed healthcare facility ideally located on at the junction of the N4 and M50 in Lucan, Co Dublin. The hospital provides a wide range of Emergency, Ambulatory, Interventional and Diagnostic care to for adults and some services for Children. As a member of Irelands newest private health care group, Blackrock Health we are dedicated in ensuring our mission, vision and values are our guiding principles in ensuring our patients and staff have a world class experience.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Focus - Direct Care

The CNS will have a strong patient focus whereby the speciality defines itself as nursing and subscribes to the overall purpose, functions and ethical standards of nursing. The clinical practice role may be divided into direct and indirect care. Direct care comprises the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care to the patient, family and/or carer. Indirect care relates to activities that influence and support the provision of direct care.

• Provide a specialist nursing service for patients with a diagnosis of lung cancer who require support and treatment through the continuum of care.
• Undertake comprehensive patient assessment to include physical, psychological, social and spiritual elements of care using best evidence based practice in thoracic surgery and lung cancer nursing.
• Use the outcomes of patient assessment to develop and implement plans of care/case management in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and the patient, family and/or carer as appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate the patient's response to treatment and amend the plan of care accordingly in conjunction with the MDT and 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 (PPPGs).
• Accept appropriate referrals from MDT colleagues.
• Co-ordinate investigations, treatment therapies and patient follow-up, including radiology, lung function and cardiopulmonary exercise testing, histopathology and molecular testing.
• Communicate with patients, family and/or carer as appropriate, to assess the patient's needs and provide relevant support, information, education, advice and counselling as required.
• Provide pre-operative assessment, education and preparation for thoracic surgery, including respiratory prehabilitation, smoking cessation, incentive spirometry and chest physiotherapy education.
• Provide expert post-operative nursing care including chest drain and pleural catheter management, airway and secretion management, pain and analgesia optimisation, early mobilisation, wound care and the prevention and early recognition of post-operative complications such as atelectasis, pneumonia, prolonged air leak and bronchopleural fistula.
• Participate in medication reconciliation taking cognisance of poly-pharmacy and support medical and pharmacy staff with medication reviews and medication management.
• Identify and promote specific symptom management strategies as well as the identification of triggers which may cause exacerbation of symptoms.
• Provide patients with appropriate self-management strategies and escalation pathways.
• Coordinate nurse led thoracic and lung cancer clinics with MDT input.
• 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.

Clinical Focus - Indirect Care

• Identify and agree appropriate referral pathways for patients with thoracic surgical conditions and lung cancer.
• Participate in case review with MDT colleagues.
• Use a case management approach to patients with complex needs in collaboration with the MDT in both Primary and Secondary Care as appropriate.
• Take a proactive role in the formulation and provision of evidence based PPPGs relating to thoracic surgery and lung cancer nursing.
• Establish and maintain clear referral lines.
• Participate actively in the development and strategic planning of the thoracic surgery and lung cancer service.
• Establish and maintain a register of patients within the CNS service and maintain a record of clinically relevant data aligned to National Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as directed and advised by the ADON/DON/Lead Consultant.
• Develop a database that is live and contemporary in focus as well as a breakdown of activity - patients seen and treated.

Patient / Client Advocate

• Communicate, negotiate and represent patient's, family and/or carer values and decisions in relation to their condition in collaboration with MDT colleagues in both Primary and Secondary Care as appropriate.
• Develop and support the concept of advocacy, particularly in relation to patient participation in decision making, thereby enabling informed choice of treatment options.
• Respect and maintain the privacy, dignity and confidentiality of the patient, family and/or carer.
• Proactively challenge any interaction which fails to deliver a quality service to patients.

Education & Training

• Maintain clinical competence in patient management within thoracic surgery and lung cancer nursing, keeping up to date with relevant research to ensure the implementation of evidence-based practice.
• Provide the patient, family and/or carer with appropriate information and other supportive interventions to increase their knowledge, skill and confidence in managing their condition.
• Contribute to the design, development and implementation of education programmes and resources for the patient, family and/or carer in relation to their condition thus empowering them to self-manage.
• Provide mentorship and preceptorship for nursing colleagues as appropriate.
• Participate in training programmes for nursing, MDT colleagues and key stakeholders as appropriate.
• Create exchange of learning opportunities within the MDT in relation to evidence based thoracic surgery and lung cancer care delivery through journal clubs, conferences etc.
• Develop and maintain links with relevant third level Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in the design, development and delivery of educational programmes in specialist thoracic surgery and lung cancer nursing.
• Be responsible for addressing own continuing professional development needs.

Audit, Research & Quality

• Establish and maintain a register of patients with thoracic surgical conditions and lung cancer within the CNS service.
• Identify, initiate and conduct nursing and MDT audit and research projects relevant to the area of practice.
• Identify, critically analyse, disseminate and integrate best evidence relating to thoracic surgery and lung cancer care into practice.
• Contribute to nursing/midwifery research on all aspects of thoracic surgery and lung cancer care.
• Use the outcomes of audit to improve service provision.
• Contribute to service planning and budgetary processes through use of audit data and specialist knowledge.
• Monitor, access, utilise and disseminate current relevant research to advise and ensure the provision of informed evidence-based practice.
• Participate and cooperate with legislative and regulatory requirements regarding quality, risk and safety.
• Participate and cooperate with local quality, risk and safety initiatives as required.
• Adequately identifies, assesses, manages and monitors risk within their area of responsibility.
• Participate and cooperate with internal and external evaluations of the organisation's structures, services and processes as required.
• Initiate, support and implement nursing quality improvement initiatives in their area which are in keeping with local organisational quality, risk and safety requirement.
• Develop a culture of safety, promoting positive reporting of incidents and near misses; investigate and take remedial action on incidents or near misses involving patients and staff according to hospital policies, protocols and guidelines.

Consultant

• Provide leadership in clinical practice and act as a resource and role model for thoracic surgery and lung cancer practice.
• Generate and contribute to the development of clinical standards and guidelines and support implementation.
• Use specialist knowledge to support and enhance generalist nursing practice.
• Develop collaborative working relationships with local community services and Registered Advanced Nurse/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.
• Network with other CNS in Thoracic Surgery and Lung Cancer and in related professional associations.

Essential Criteria

Knowledge / Experience

• Be registered in the general division of the Register of Nurses maintained by NMBI.
• Have at least five years recent relevant post-registration nursing experience (full-time or equivalent hours part-time) in an acute hospital setting and a minimum of two years nursing experience in the specialist area of thoracic surgery, lung cancer or cancer nursing.
• Have acquired a level 8 post registration Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) major academic award relevant to the specialist area of Thoracic Surgery and Lung Cancer Nursing (or similar) or be willing to complete within one year of taking up post.
• Have the clinical, managerial and administrative capacity to properly discharge the functions of the role.
• Demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development.

Skills/ Competencies

• Clinical Skills
• Management skills
• Leadership skills
• IT skills
• Quality focus
• Risk Management
• Clinical audit
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Desireable Skills

Knowledge/ Experience

• Experience in teaching & assessing
• Experience with JCI standards
• Experience of mentoring and preceptorship of nursing colleagues.
• Knowledge of the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 and the National Cancer Control Programme rapid access lung cancer pathway.

Skills/ Competencies

• Advanced clinical assessment and diagnostic skills, including interpretation of investigations and results relevant to the specialty.
• Physical/health assessment skills.
• Development of patient education resources and digital/telehealth service delivery (for example virtual clinics and remote follow-up).
• Ability to present at local and national forums and to represent the service in professional networks.

This Job Description is intended as a basic guide to the scope and responsibilities of the position and is subject to regular review and amendment. The role holder will be required to be flexible in this position and is expected to facilitate working additional hours on occasion, when requested.