Pulmonary Nodule Nurse Specialist

Job overview

We are seeking a full-time Nurse with significant post graduate experience in the NHS, to work within the OUH Radiology Department, as part of a wider OUH team providing the Lung Nodule Service.  They will contribute positively and enthusiastically to the set-up, running and development of the service. The post is suitable for a nurse with an interest or experience in nurse led patient pathways who would like to work as part of a dedicated and professional team to provide holistic care and support to patients referred to Lung Nodule Service and support the service lead in developing the pathway in the future.

The OUH Lung Nodule Service - Lung/Pulmonary nodules are small well circumscribed lesions which are less than 3 cm in diameter and surrounded by lung tissue.   With increasing incidental detection on CT scans and in the advent of lung cancer screening, the number of nodules being detected that need managing is ever increasing.  Whilst the majority of these nodules are benign, this cannot always be established immediately, and patients need follow-up scans to look for nodule growth (as a marker of possible cancer). Up to 5% of incidental nodules will be cancerous and represent an early lung cancer that needs timely assessment and management.

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MAIN PURPOSE OF THE POST:

• To work as part of the Pulmonary Nodule Navigation Team within Radiology 
• To be the point of contact for patients referred to the service
• To manage the follow-up database of patients and ensure that new referrals and follow-ups are organised and managed in a timely manner.
• To work within a multidisciplinary team within the radiology and respiratory teams
• The triage of new referrals.
• Making a management plan based on guidelines or after discussion with a senior clinician.
• Communicate and arrange follow-up for the patient via letter or telephone call.
• Ensuring appropriate handover to the Respiratory Early DIagnositcs Service if the patient is suspected of having an early lung cancer- again done with clinician  support.
• Working alongside a Band 7 radiographer to run the service and a dedicated nodule clinical fellow.
• Using and working with database and software packages to guide diagnosis and make a management plan and communicate this with the patient.
• Coordinate simple and complex patient care issues in conjunction with other parts of the healthcare system e.g. other referring departments with the hospital e.g. Oncology.
• Collaborate with other health care providers in developing, implementing, and evaluating educational materials for patients and their families.

Closing 6th July 11:59pm

Working for our organisation

This is an exciting new post, where radiographers and nurses will work closely with the thoracic radiologists and lung cancer physicians.  Radiographers and nurses will develop and manage an electronic patient database and learn to provide the first read of the CT scans, including nodule volumetry, which is the recommended standard for reporting CT scans.  They will coordinate and lead a nodule MDT. They will inform patients of their CT results and the ongoing management plan. They will flag growing nodules, other significant pathology and patients with new symptoms or signs, allowing rapid assessment of patients by the chest physicians where appropriate.   

There are over 2000 patients managed within the Lung Nodule service and we receive approximately 20-30 referrals each week, from GPs and secondary care colleagues.  Patients who have an incidentally detected small lung nodule on CT are referred to the service and are monitored with CT scans over a 2 to 4 year period, according to standardised protocols, to assess for any nodule growth (ref BTS).   As surveillance is CT-based with standardised and clear protocols, we have developed a nurse and radiographer-led service, which will follow the guidance for managing pulmonary nodules, as defined by the British Thoracic Society and will be managed from within the radiology directorate.