Sarah Morter and Susan Ellis, two of our Macmillan specialist nurses working in neuro-oncology, have shared with us their day-to-day responsibilities, what it feels like to work as a cancer clinical nurse specialists (CNS) and the role of a CNS in patient care.
According to you, what is a CNS?
As a CNS, we act as a key worker for patients and families, providing vital continuity, expert knowledge and advice whilst acting as a patient’s advocate.
What qualifications and experience do you need to become a CNS?
Whilst professional qualifications and lifelong learning are required to become a CNS, the ability to be kind, compassionate and an effective communicator is vital to the role.
What are your day-to-day responsibilities?
Our patients have very complex needs and their situations and conditions can alter extremely quickly.
One telephone call from a deteriorating patient can often take up most of our day, instigating interventions in an attempt to avoid stressful admissions.
We commit to attending clinics every day as well as the weekly neuro-oncology MDT (multi-disciplinary team) meetings, and joint nursing and AHP meetings – whilst also seeing patients on the wards.
Our teams also run a Grey Matters Support Group for patients in our trust, offering a safe platform for them to share any concerns whilst getting together with like-minded individuals.
Steroid therapy management is a large part of our role and accurate and timely documentation of all interactions. We also have regular meetings to discuss service development.
We are responsible for co-ordinating appointments to ensure scan results are given in a timely fashion. Our teams also complete referrals to community teams, holistic services and colleagues within the hospital
Although it is improving, we also aim to raise more about brain tumours in the region as we feel people have limited knowledge about the tumours.
What do patients say about the care they received due to your specialist role?
We are fortunate to receive some excellent feedback from our patients. Here are a few of them:
“May I take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the help and support you have shown Angela and my family, you have gone above and beyond in your job, a thousand.” – Patient 1.
Patient 2: “Your name gets mentioned a lot around my ward and it’s all positive. You have become a legendary nurse.”
Patient 3:
Thank you so much. And thank you for all the support you have given us over the years. I don’t know what we would have done without you at times. You’ve made everything so much easier and I’ve known that, even if it isn’t you that I need to talk to, you’ll know who to contact.”
What piece of advice would you like to give any aspiring nurse, Susan?
If someone were to say to me, even five years ago, that I would be a neuro-oncology CNS, I would have told them I couldn’t do it.
This is because I didn’t know anything about brains, I was not clever enough and I did not possess the relevant qualification.
But right now, I have to pinch myself regularly to prove I’m actually here!
I feel very privileged to be in this role and I’m proof that if you have genuine desire and determination and are willing to work hard, you can achieve anything. 
I am lucky to be part of an amazing, highly skilled and knowledgeable neuro-oncology team who all genuinely care about our patients and families and made me very welcome right from the day I started as a support sister.
I would encourage anybody who has a genuine interest in the role to follow your dream and above all, be kind.