UKONS 2016 | Increasing the clinical capacity of specialist nurses at Imperial College Healthcare Trust

Diane Dunn, lead cancer nurse at the Imperial College Healthcare Trust, London, UK, talks about initiatives to improve patient experience through increasing the clinical activity of specialist nurses in the Imperial College Cancer Service. Burdened by administration and having to respond to calls, cancer nurses reported that they didn’t have the capacity in their job plans to provide a patient focused service. In collaboration with Macmillan, she established a navigator service, a telephone service acting as the first port of call for patients interacting with the Imperial College Cancer Service. Freeing up specialist nurses to focus on patient experience. Diane also developed a structured and streamlined career progression for specialist nurses, including education programs. These changes have led to significant improvements in the role and function of specialist nurses. Recorded at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS), held in Brighton, UK.