Qualifications and experience
The minimum selection criteria for a Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is:
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a first level nurse registration
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at least five years post registration clinical experience, two of which must have been in cancer or palliative care
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normally a degree in either palliative care or oncology.
For people who fall just short of this criteria, development opportunities may be available, like the Role Development Programme. This training programme is designed for nurses who are recruited into permanent posts but who, at the point of interview, are identified as having development needs to enable them to function at specialist level. The level of development will be determined at interview and an appointment made to a CNS post or a training post.
It is imperative that candidates possess the appropriate and relevant clinical experience that will support the clinical responsibilities of the specialist nursing post.
The Macmillan CNS is required to demonstrate a range of abilities including expertise and knowledge to advance practice and clinical leadership skills to enable other healthcare professionals to develop expertise. Good teaching and communication skills are essential to ensure that knowledge and skills are passed on, particularly to the primary carer.
Macmillan professionals will be required to have the ability to lead and develop a Macmillan service that is sensitive to patients needs and provide a resource for healthcare professionals working in this speciality.
Macmillan nurses undertake specialist preparation and are encouraged to gain a specialist qualification recorded with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This qualification should be at least diploma level and Macmillan nurses should demonstrate a willingness to commence a degree pathway to ensure that they will be able to satisfy the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council standards for Specialist Nursing Practice (UKCC, 1994).
A CNS is required to maintain his/her specialist knowledge and skills and to be up-to-date with recent advances in research and practice development. Macmillan provides support through a number of education programmes.
The CNS role
The Macmillan nurse's key role is to influence patient care by offering indirect and direct services. Indirect services involve strategic and policy-making activities that influence patient care. This involves empowering and supporting primary carers by advising and assessing on the development of care plans, clinical practice and through teaching and education.
The Macmillan nurse provides a professional resource for other professionals and gives specialist advice on nursing intervention, empowering others to carry out the care.
Direct care is provided by Macmillan nurses, at the request of the primary carer, when patients present highly complex problems that require specialist nurse intervention in their management and planning.
The focus of this role is clinical expertise, education, research and management, contributing to multi-disciplinary activities in either a hospital or community setting (Webber, 1996).
Finding a vacant CNS role
Applications are filled through local NHS Trusts and advertised in health-related media and journals. For further general information contact your nearest Macmillan office:
East Midlands/Northern Region, Head of Service Development - Denise Barker, Tel: 01904 756 432 or 01904 756 412
London and South East Region, Head of Service Development - Stephen Hindle, Tel: 020 8222 9003 or 020 8563 9800
Central and South West Southern, Head of Service Development - Gillian Lord, Tel: 01264 343 802