The clinical nurse specialist's role in head and neck cancer care: United Kingdom National Multidisciplinary Guidelines

Abstract

This is the official guideline endorsed by the specialty associations involved in the care of head and neck cancer patients in the UK. It discusses the role of the clinical nurse specialist in the head and neck cancer patient journey and provides recommendations on the clinical nurse specialist led assessments and interventions for this group of patients receiving cancer care. Recommendations • All cancer patients should meet a clinical nurse specialist at the point of diagnosis. (R) • Clinical nurse specialists must act as gate keeper to the patients' cancer pathway to provide a seamless journey. (R) • Holistic needs assessment should be completed at different stages of the patient's pathway to reflect the changes of the patients' needs. (R) • Clinical nurse specialists to be part of local and national initiatives for health promotion and raising awareness in the public domain. (G) • Clinical nurse specialists should lead in redesigning of services and policies to ensure they are responsive to patient's needs for the future. (G) • Treatment summaries should become part of practice to provide good communication between primary and secondary care to enable continuity of care for the patient. (G).