Psychological Nurse Specialist

Expected Start Date: August 2026, though we are flexible and happy to discuss this with applicants.

We are seeking a resilient and passionate Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) to join the Psycho oncology Team at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust for a 12 month maternity cover (also available as a secondment). This is a full time role (37.5 hours per week), Monday to Friday (08:30-16:30), providing specialist interventions for patients with complex mental health difficulties within an oncology setting. As a key member of our multidisciplinary team-alongside psychiatrists, psychologists, and counsellors-you will deliver high quality psychological support and contribute to service development. This role requires excellent interpersonal skills and emotional resilience.

Why Join Us?

• Regular team and individual clinical supervision, with dedicated time for reflective practice.
• Strong peer support within a close knit, collaborative team.
• Opportunities to develop your expertise in psycho oncology.

We encourage interested candidates to contact us for an informal discussion or to arrange a visit to meet the team.

Main duties of the job As a Psychological Nurse Specialist, you will:

• Clinical Caseload: Autonomously manage a specialist oncology caseload, providing high quality assessments and interventions for patients with complex mental health difficulties.
• Operational Leadership & Escalation: Lead day to day service operations and team coordination; act as the primary contact for operational issues, escalating strategic or high level governance matters to the Psycho oncology Lead Nurse.
• MDT Collaboration: Work integrally with psychiatrists, psychologists, and counsellors, while fostering strong links with the broader oncology teams and external stakeholders to ensure seamless care for both inpatients and outpatients.
• Service Development: Collaborate with the Lead Nurse and Clinical Leads to drive service improvements, staff education, and mental health promotion.
• Professional Growth: Maintain high clinical standards through regular supervision, reflective practice, and specialist professional development.

Working for our organisation The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15 % of patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities Clinical

1. Perform comprehensive assessments of patients' mental health and psychological needs and plan, implement, and evaluate care delivery according to changing health care needs to ensure continuity of effective patient care.
2. Perform advanced clinical skills in psychological and mental health assessment, diagnosis, and interactions to enhance the patient experience.
3. Provide guidance to nursing colleagues regarding the management of patients with specific mental health needs.
4. Collect, collate, evaluate, and report information, maintaining accurate patient records in line with clinical governance and risk management.
5. Involve patients and carers/relatives in the planning and delivery of care and development of services to enhance the patient/carer experience.
6. Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure patient needs are met.
7. Use advanced communication skills in a variety of settings.
8. Monitor health, safety and security of self and others and promote best practice in the clinical area.
9. Promote patient and public involvement activities in the specialist area, leading to service improvement.

Managerial

1. Ensure the effective and efficient use of physical and financial resources in conjunction with finance and the service manager.
2. Lead on the writing of protocols relevant to the Psychological Nurse Specialist role.
3. Contribute to and coordinate the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and guidelines within the Trust in line with national guidance; and contribute to these activities at network and national level.
4. Organise daily work schedule and off duty rotas ensuring appropriate and effective skill mix and deployment of staff appropriate to patient needs.
5. Be aware of Health and Safety issues and ensure relevant risk assessments for the department are undertaken.
6. Report and record all incidents and complaints according to the agreed policy, investigating promptly and compassionately.
7. Ensure all existing Trust policies and procedures are adhered to and new ones are implemented as necessary.
8. Report to Clinical Lead or DACN on clinical matters/activity and staff development.

Professional

1. Highlight areas of improvement/development within the department and undertake relevant projects.
2. Keep abreast of issues influencing the Trust both internally and externally and ensure senior colleagues and the team have a good understanding of the same.
3. Undertake clinical supervision of health care professional colleagues on an individual or group basis.
4. Be fully aware of the divisional objectives and the Trust's corporate plan.
5. Demonstrate a pleasant and approachable manner and help create and promote good working relationships.
6. Show professional and courteous manner whilst practising excellent communication skills at all levels.
7. Show respect for members of the team and endorse the philosophy of giving mutual support.
8. Being aware of one's own limitations, maintain confidentiality and adherence to NMC Professional Code of Conduct.
9. Cooperate in own performance review by indicating learning goals and support needs.
10. Actively seek mentorship / supervision to enable reflection and development within the role.
11. Exercise effective leadership using sound organisation skills and judgement, upholding equality and diversity of colleagues and patients.

Education and Development

1. Provide specialist, expert clinical knowledge to clinical colleagues, patients, and carers/relatives both within and outside the Trust.
2. Identify learning needs, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of education to meet identified needs.
3. Participate in the education of pre and post registration health care professionals/medical staff.
4. Educate and support staff in the general hospital in how to manage medically ill inpatients with psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, delirium, dementia.
5. Sustain up to date skills and knowledge and maintain awareness of professional issues.
6. Ensure own compliance and compliance of others with regard to mandatory training.

Research & Audit

1. Identify need for, and undertake, research/clinical audit/benchmarking, to improve effectiveness of patient care.
2. Contribute to relevant research projects in Psycho Oncology being conducted at Trust, Network, or national level.
3. Disseminate research and audit findings through presentation to professional groups and publication.
4. Evaluate service delivery- identify areas for improvement and initiate change.

Person specification Qualifications

• Registered Mental Health Nurse
• Degree in Nursing or health related study
• NMC Registration
• Master's Degree
• Experience in delivering psychological therapy.
• Experience of non medical prescribing

Experience

• Post registration experience in acute care for adult psychiatric nursing including undertaking risk assessments.
• Post registration experience including working at a senior clinical level.
• Experience in liaison psychiatry or a relevant clinical specialty involving serious physical illness.
• Experience of working within an oncology setting
• Experience of working with a complex care team
• Experience of working within a given resource and ability to demonstrate imaginative and effective use of resources.
• Participation in service development and implementation of change

Skills

• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong emotional resilience and maintaining compassion in challenging situations
• Able to analyze data and provide written reports.
• Able to work autonomously.
• Evidence of effective team working across professional and organisational boundaries
• Experience in teaching and providing supervision to others (including non mental health professionals)
• Exhibit leadership skills
• Evidence of involvement in quality improvement activities.

Knowledge

• Specialist knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
• Knowledge of professional and NHS issues and policy relating to specialist area
• Evidence based knowledge in relevant clinical specialty.
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