Case study:

01 August 2008

Macmillan palliative care clinical nurse specialist development post in Walsall Hospitals Trust

Key points

Walsall Hospitals Trust has created a development post that will enable a generalist staff nurse to become a palliative care clinical nurse specialist within three years.

The post allows the nurse to work as part of the hospital palliative care team, develop clinical skills and study for a formal qualification.

At the same time it enhances succession planning and increases the palliative care team resources in line with national guidelines.

The trust’s palliative care team decided to create the full-time development post after seeing the benefits of a one-day a week secondment in 2006-7.

The successful applicant, Shareen Juwle, began her new role in May 2007 with funding coming in the first three years from Macmillan Cancer Support.

The trust has agreed to pick up recurring costs after this period.

The post-holder will study for an MSc in palliative care as well as taking part in Macmillan workshops.

The skills she will be taught include clinical practice, consultation/ resource, education, research and leadership/management.

Shareen will also receive mentoring from the palliative care clinical nurse specialist as well as support from the lead cancer nurse and is expected to qualify as a specialist in 2010 when she completes her MSc.

The specialist team will provide ongoing education and training to allow other generalist staff to develop their palliative care skills and knowledge.

The role is also sustainable should the current post-holder resign.