[...]... AM The Role of the Community Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist 23 as clinical nurse specialists However, at the time of writing, the author is aware that the implementation of this framework is still in its infancy and the impact on nursing roles is still unknown The clinical nurse specialist s role The clinical nurse specialist works mainly within the hospital setting in the United States of. .. visiting These qualifications ensure that the community palliative care clinical nurse specialist not only has knowledge of cancer and palliative care, but also an in-depth understanding of the community setting and primary health care The last two decades have seen an expansion in the services involved in the provision of specialist palliative care, not least the community palliative care clinical nurse specialist. .. most of the community palliative care clinical nurse specialists will be educated to at least degree level, and many will also have completed or be undertaking a Aitken_C002.indd 26 11/25/2008 10:39:13 AM The Role of the Community Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist 27 Master’s degree A considerable number of the nurses working as community palliative care clinical nurse specialists also have a community. .. district nurse s perspective British Journal of Nursing 11 (18), 1180–1185 Aitken_C001.indd 20 11/25/2008 10:38:19 AM 2 The Role of the Community Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Introduction This chapter is written to provide a clearer understanding of the role of the community palliative care clinical nurse specialist These nurses are equipped with specialist skills to assess the complex palliative. .. this role The enhanced knowledge and skills of the clinical nurse specialist permits her to provide advice on a wide range of topics relating to care of the patient with complex needs The Aitken_C002.indd 24 11/25/2008 10:39:12 AM The Role of the Community Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist 25 clinical nurse specialist in her role as consultant has to feel comfortable with a significant degree of. .. on the part of some professionals to access these services (Nash 1992, 1993; Graves and Nash 1993; Skilbeck et al 2002) Reasons given in the studies for non-referral were the lack of knowledge of the community palliative care clinical nurse specialist role, professionals indicating that they felt able and qualified to meet the needs of patients and carers, and the desire to limit the number of professionals... However, further clarification of this role is required in the future; in particular with regards to the educational requirements, agreed role definition and core job description (Llahana 2005) This will allow the role to develop and positively influence patient care in both the hospital and community setting Community palliative care clinical nurse specialist The community palliative care clinical nurse specialist. .. the district nurses and that they may potentially act as gate-keepers to other services In order to provide effective palliative care in the home, the district nurses require an awareness of services available to patients and their families, but it became apparent in the author’s research that there was a lack of knowledge amongst the district nurses regarding the role of the community palliative care. .. description and the clinical setting (McGuire and Harwood 1989) The clinical nurse specialist is in a unique position to be able to bridge the gap between theory and practice and ensure that nursing care is of a high standard Consultant Consultation is an important aspect of the clinical nurse specialist role, whether it takes place formally at the bedside or informally in the coffee-room The aim of the consultation... with the primary health care team, may be the only part of specialist palliative care they will need (Woof et al 1998) Specialist nurses When providing palliative care nursing services it is important to explain the difference between a nurse working in a specialty and a specialist nurse Nurses working in specialties such as palliative care give everyday basic care to patients whether it is in their . AM Contents v Introduction vii Section I: Professionals 1 1 Community Palliative Care: The Team 3 2 The Role of the Community Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist 21 Section. for community nurses, other members of the primary health care team and professionals involved in palliative care, on the role of the community palliative