Job Title Breast Care Liaison Nurse
Department ; Breast Centre
Reports to ;Breast Care Programme Manager
Date ; 2026
An overview of Breast Care Service at Beacon Hospital
The aim of the Breast care service at Beacon Hospital is to provide a high standard of treatment and care to breast care patients with benign breast disease, a diagnosis of breast cancer and a family risk of breast cancer.
The Clinical / Breast radiology liaison nurse will provide a professional nursing service to meet the needs of the patients who are referred to the breast care service.
The nurse carries out a central role in the assessment, interventions, counselling, surveillance and support of patients with malignant, benign and family risk of breast cancer.
Main role, duties and responsibilities required
To provide specialist knowledge, expertise and care to breast care patients.
To offer advice and support recognising the differences in the psychosocial impact of a breast cancer diagnosis including R0 patients
To ensure continual optimal care for inpatients and out-patients and their families.
To assess, plan, implement and evaluate all aspects of the patient's physical, psychological and social needs.
Monitor patients on an ongoing basis, to evaluate outcomes and adjust nursing care practice to ensure optimum co-ordination and delivery of care.
The nurse shall provide pre and post operative counselling, fitting of prosthesis both temporary and permanent when required.
To provide pre and post treatment care and support including in-depth information re; treatment options, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endocrine treatment.
To assess, plan, implement, and evaluate all aspects of the patient's physical, psychological and social needs maintaining autonomous practice.
To develop and participate in family history clinics, follow-up and results clinics.
Provide practical information on all aspects of altered image, which can be caused by the disease and treatment e.g. surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and endocrine therapy.
To keep accurate, legible records and be aware of the legal implications of these documents.
To review Breast Care referrals
To liaise closely with the patient's primary health care teams.
To demonstrate ability to participate in multi-disciplinary conferences with all professionals involved in delivery of patient care. The nurse shall act as a patient advocate in their absence, using knowledge and skills to co-ordinate continuity of care.
To establish and monitor standards of nursing practice in relation to ensuring best practice.
To attend the Triple Assessment Clinic as necessary
The nurse will coordinate care of patients with abnormal radiological findings, including further assessment, breast radiology recalls, and biopsy
Prepare and educate patients for breast radiology interventions such as core biopsy and assist the radiology with these procedures
Ensure patients receive timely access to diagnostic evaluation or referral to breast clinic
Provide direct and indirect nursing care to guide patients through the breast radiology department
To work in collaboration with the Surgical, Medical and Radiation Oncology Teams to develop care pathways, implement best practice guidelines and standards of care.
Provides leadership in clinical practice and acts as a resource and role model for specialist practice.
The nurse requires a good knowledge of breast imaging procedures and is responsible for the follow up of abnormal findings on imaging
Expedite referrals to breast clinic if clinical assessment is required
Provide patient education
Attend weekly Breast MDT
Management
To independently manage own caseload of patients and associated responsibilities.
To ensure that policies, protocols, and guidelines for Breast cancer and Non Cancer patients are developed and implemented.
To identify the service development needs on six monthly bases. Development needs to be submitted to Oncology Unit Manager for service planning purposes.
To ensure a safe and healthy environment is maintained for patients and staff involved with Breast care service at UPMC Beacon Hospital.
Personal and Professional Development
To develop the required skills and knowledge to support the service needs within the scope of professional practice.
To undertake appropriate further training to enhance nursing practice within the specialist area.
Identifies own continuing professional development needs and engages accordingly.
Education
To possess highly specialised knowledge regarding breast disease. This knowledge shall be acquired through relevant study and experience.
To provide an educational service for patients and their families, formally and informally.
To incorporate health promotion principles into all aspects of nursing care.
To participate in teaching programmes and in-service training programmes for all staff.
To ensure adequate patient education material is available and contribute to developing new educational material where required.
Recognise the opportunity for clinical supervision and access if appropriate.
Quality Assurance, Audit and Research
To initiate and audit the clinical effectiveness of the Breast care services in conjunction with the Medical Oncology Team.
Ensure that relevant statistics are collected, collated, updated and highlighted, pertinent to individual caseloads and referral to breast care service.
Ensure that clinical practice, procedures and standards of care are evidence based and remain dynamic, ensuring quality service development to meet patient's needs.
Encourage, imitate and participate in nursing research where appropriate.
To evaluate findings and assist with implementation of necessary change to improve the service.
To maintain awareness of current developments in the areas of Breast Care.
To provide updates of service reports to the Oncology Unit Manager and Consultants.
Contributes to service planning and budgetary processes through use of audit, data and specialist knowledge.
Governance
The post holder will operate at all times to high standards of probity. This will include compliance with:
Health and safety regulations
All policies and procedures approved by Beacon Hospital
Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act
Work within limitations of the role.
An Bord Altranais Professional Code of Conduct
National Cancer Strategy and the O'Higgins Report
NCCP National Breast Cancer GP referral Guideline
For the purpose of this post the post holder will have achieved competence in the liason nurse domains as regulated by the National Council for Nursing and Midwifery.
The post holder will be expected to:
Support the aims and vision of Beacon Hospital and the Beacon Hospital Cancer Centre
Act with honesty and integrity at all times
Be a positive ambassador for the hospital
Demonstrate high standards of personal conduct
Value and respect colleagues, other members of staff and patients.
Work with others to develop and improve our services
This job description is not intended to be a complete list of duties and responsibilities but is a guide for information to the job. The post holder may be required, after consultation, to carry out other related tasks, which may not be specifically mentioned above.
Employee Profile for the Post of Clinical Nurse Specialist - Breast care
Core Domain
Essential
Desirable
NMBI Registration
Minimum of 5 years post registration experience.
2 years within specialist area
Excellent communications skills
Excellent time management and organisational skills.
Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team
Ability to work alone and organise own caseload.
Ability to work under pressure
Ability to initiate and manage change
Good IT and computer skills
Interest in Breast care services and development of service for future.
Flexible towards working hours.
BNS
Post Grade in Oncology Nursing (Breast care) preferred
Management Development
2 years in the area of medical oncology/breast surgery
This job description is intended to be an outline of the areas of responsibility and deliverables at the time of its writing. As the Hospital and the post holder develop, this job description may be subject to review in light of the changing needs of the Hospital.
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