The role of a nurse specialist in a modern lung-cancer service.

Abstract

The delivery of a modern cancer service is dependent on the nurse specialist occupying a central role in the overall pathway. However, there are significant variations in the access to a lung cancer clinical nurse specialist (CNS) across the UK and the USA. In the UK, the lung cancer CNS plays a pivotal role in the delivery of high-quality care and treatment to patients with (presumed) thoracic malignancy. They are in an ideal position to provide holistic care to patients with lung cancer-ensuring that all needs are addressed from the time of initial referral to commencement of definitive treatment or palliative care. In addition the role provides support and advice to people on the increasingly complex treatment options and on survivorship, and plays an essential role in end-of-life care. In the USA, the nurse navigator is a core member of the lung cancer screening programme. In this review the authors provide a transatlantic perspective on the history, current practice and potential future roles for the lung cancer CNS in the UK and nurse navigator in the US.