Clinical Nurse Specialist (Lung), Cork University Hospital

Details of Service

Cork University Hospital (CUH) has approximately 800 beds and this will increase further to 1000 beds on completion of the transfer of additional services to the CUH campus. CUH currently employs approximately 4571 (WTE) staff of multiple professions and is the primary teaching hospital for the Faculty of Health and Science in University College Cork (UCC). UCC is the Academic partner of the South/South West Hospital Group. CUH has very strong relationships with each of the six schools within the Science Faculty of UCC and this is a key area for future development to maximise the opportunities for both the service and academia.

CUH is a recommended Major Trauma Centre for the Republic of Ireland due to the wide range of specialties delivered by the hospital including Neurosciences Cardiac Services Orthopaedics General Surgery Renal Internal Medicine Vascular Ophthalmology Urology Plastic Surgery Maxillary-Facial Paediatrics Intensive Care Oncology Haematology Obstetrics Gynaecology Neonatology and Emergency Medicine.

CUH is the tertiary referral centre for the HSE Southern area and the supra regional area of Limerick Clare Tipperary Waterford and Kilkenny. CUH therefore acts as a regional centre for secondary and tertiary care for the catchment population of approx. 550000 served by the HSE Southern area and a supra-regional centre for a total a population of 1.2 million.

Six Health Regions have been established within the HSE on the basis of the geographical boundaries agreed by the Government in July 2019 and they will be operational from 2024.

Each Health Region will be tasked with population specific planning resourcing and delivery of health and social care services for the needs of its unique population. This will result in improved accountability and governance in terms of finance and performance while also bringing decision-making closer to the frontline.

Health Regions will enable and empower staff to provide services that are:

Integrated locally planned and delivered

Easier to access and navigate

Available closer to home

Health Regions are geographically based units with clearly defined populations. They align community and hospital services within specific areas. The HSE will retain a strong but leaner central organisation with more service provision developed at a local level.

The HSE South West health region will manage and deliver all public health and social care services in Cork and Kerry. HSE South West includes all hospital and community healthcare services in the region.

This includes:

South / South West Hospital Group S/SWHG

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare CKCH

The Department of Population and Public Health is also now aligned with this health region

Services in the South West health region:

HSE Services working within this region include:

Acute Hospitals

Primary care services

Community services

Social care services

Health and social care professionals

Voluntary sector services

South / South West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare became part of HSE South West health region on 3rd March 2025 and the transition to the new structures will continue throughout 2026.

NCCP Rapid Access Lung and Lung Cancer Care Programme

The Orchid Centre is the hub for the NCCP Rapid Access Lung referral pathway at Cork University Hospital and provides an integrated lung cancer assessment diagnostic and treatment coordination service.

The service delivers timely patientcentred care from initial referral through diagnosis treatment decisionmaking and onward management ensuring coordination across the full lung cancer pathway. Care is delivered through a dedicated multidisciplinary and multiprofessional team working in line with NCCP standards and best practice.

The service encompasses rapid assessment clinics diagnostic investigations (including biopsy and staging) communication of diagnosis and coordination of individualised treatment plans. Treatment pathways may include surgery systemic anticancer therapies radiotherapy and palliative interventions with ongoing evaluation surveillance and followup care as appropriate.

A key focus of the service is the provision of expert clinical nursing leadership care coordination and patient advocacy supporting patients and families through complex diagnostic and treatment journeys facilitating timely MDTdriven decisionmaking and ensuring continuity of care across hospital oncology respiratory radiology and palliative services

Purpose of the Post

The CNS post holder will deliver care in line with the five core concepts of the role set out in the Framework for the Establishment of Clinical Nurse Specialist Posts 4th edition National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (NCNM) 2008.

Caseload

The CNS will focus initially on the following service user groups: Adult patients aged 16 years and older attending the Rapid Access Lung Clinic.

The concepts are:

o Clinical Focus (Direct and Indirect Care)

o Service user/client Advocacy

o Education and Training

o Audit and Research

o Consultancy (including leadership in clinical practice)

Informal Enquiries

We welcome enquiries about the role.

Contact Jane Shanahan Assistant Director of Nursing /- for further information about the role

Contact Tamara Broderick- People Resourcing for enquiries relating to the recruitment process

Required Experience:

IC