Placement Area Details

Ward 2 Medical Assessment Unit cares for unplanned admissions with any oncology disease group. It has 21 beds and a Triage clinic which runs from 9am - 4pm Monday - Friday. Patients should not stay on the unit for longer than 36 hours.

• Telephone Number: 0161-918 7208/3008

Consist of 12 beds and 3 treatment chairs. This will be for patients for up to 36 hours

The annexe is a non-surgical short stay unit consisting of an area with 8 beds and 4 treatment chairs. This is for patients for up to 16 hours

Ward 4 cares for male and female patients predominantly with disease of the head and neck, central nervous system or genito-urinary tract.

Patients are admitted to ward 4 for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, symptom control and supportive management of treatment side effects.

Learning opportunities on ward 4 are numerous and include:

• Care of the cancer patient receiving radiotherapy
• Care of the cancer patient receiving chemotherapy
• Care of the patient receiving enteral nutrition
• Care of the patient with a stoma/tracheostomy
• Care of the patient with pain and other disease or treatment related symptoms
• Communication skills

Telephone: 0161 446 3770/1

Ward 4

As a student nurse on the Surgical Unit, you will be allocated a mentor and associate mentor prior to your arrival. You will be given a student information pack when you commence your placement.

Ward 9 consists of 8 'short stay' surgical beds and 4 endocrine beds. Ward 10 consists of 28 surgical beds. Both wards are of mixed sex.

The main types of surgery performed are head and neck, breast, colorectal, plastics, gynaecology and urology.

• Telephone No: Ward 10 - 0161 446 3860/3862

The new purpose built Critical Care Unit was opened in December 2006 to replace the old 4 bed high dependency unit that was based on ward 10. This 10 bed unit cares for patients that are undergoing medical and surgical treatments for cancer and that require close monitoring. The entrance to the unit is via the main, Oak Road entrance. The unit also provides overnight stay rooms for families and training and meeting rooms for staff.

• Telephone number Critical care unit 0161 446 3481

Ward 11 is a 28 bed, mixed sex ward. The main specialities include disease of upper and lower GI tract, testis, sarcoma, melanoma and renal malignancies

Patients are admitted for predominantly chemotherapy (radical and palliative), but also for radiotherapy and symptom control.

There will be many learning opportunities caring for patients undergoing various treatments such as:

• Chemotherapy and minimising side effects.
• Support of associated side effects of chemotherapy e.g. infection due to low white cell count, blood and platelet transfusions, nausea and vomiting and dehydration.
• Symptom control and palliative care.
• Oncological emergencies e.g. spinal cord compression, neutropenic sepsis, renal failure and hypercalcaemia.

Team nursing is the care delivery system in practice. The three teams are red, blue and green. During placements students will be allocated to one team, working with a mentor as much as possible.

• Telephone Number Ward 11: 0161 446 3865/7

Ward 12 is a 28 bed, mixed sex ward. The main specialities include lung, lymphoma, renal and haematology malignancies

The work includes: -

• Care of patients undergoing chemotherapy.
• Care of patients with infections due to low white cell count (neutropenia), the patient with anaemia and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) all as a result of side effects from chemotherapy.
• Care of patients admitted for symptom control e.g. pain, nausea and vomiting.
• Care of patients admitted with other oncological emergencies e.g. hypercalcaemia, bowel obstruction.
• Palliative care.

The chemotherapy that is given is curative in some instances, but much of the work on the ward is for palliation.

The care delivery system is team nursing - red, green and blue teams. Each team is responsible for 8-10 patients per shift. One member of nursing staff co-ordinates the shift and liases with each team.

Ward 12 is a busy environment but the work is interesting and there is much to learn. We hope that you enjoy your placement on ward 12 and we will do our best to support you during your placement.

• Telephone Number Ward 12: 0161 446 3870/1

The Y.O.U. cares for young people aged 0-24 years and their families.

Patients receive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and occasionally surgery.

There are 12 beds on the unit. These are arranged as 4 side rooms and 2, 4 bed ward areas. There is also 1 special side room dedicated to M.I.B.G. treatment, following which the patient becomes radioactive and has therefore to be isolated.

The unit has specialist facilities for our patients including a sensory room, schoolroom, and oasis room. Victoria House provides accommodation for parents.

Follow up clinics are conducted in the units outpatient department. The ward regularly cares for patients having long term follow up investigations.

• Telephone Number: 0161 446 3960

The HTU provides facilities for both in-patients and outpatients. Patients undergo specialised treatments for a wide variety of haematological diseases, with some patients undergoing bone marrow transplants or peripheral stem cell transplants. There is an outpatient area where leucophoresis takes place.

The HTU is an 18 bed unit - all single rooms including 6 isolation rooms.

The patients on the unit are at risk of infection so certain precautions have to be taken :

• Visiting is limited to reduce the risk of infection
• Staff wear into theatre uniform before entering patient areas
• Hand washing and a change of apron before entering a patients room is vital
• Patients have a "clean diet" (see ward hostess for further information)
• If you have a cold/flu or any type of infection, avoid patient contact, otherwise you will put patients at risk
• Hepatitis B high risk area

The multi-disciplinary grand round takes place on the HTU on a Tuesday morning. Named nursing is practised on the HTU. Patients are usually given two named nurses, as this enables the continuity of patient care.

• Telephone number HTU: 0161 446 3925

Theatre department is a self contained area within the hospital and comprises of the following:-

Four theatres, each a separate functioning unit comprising of:- an anaesthetic room, operating room, clean preparation room, scrub up area, sluice and a hatch to the dirty corridor.

The Radiotherapy theatre is situated on a separate site within the hospital and theatre staff work between the two areas.

Learning opportunities within Theatre department are numerous due to the fact that the work is so specialised. Student nurses are allocated a mentor from the scrub side and a mentor from the anaesthetic and recovery side. Students will work daily with their allocated mentor who will support them through the different phases of care.

Specific Learning Opportunities:

• Care of patients pre, peri and post-operatively
• Care of patients receiving anaesthetics
• Working within a multidisciplinary team
• Care of the unconscious patient
• Patient advocacy
• A closer look at anatomy and physiology related to cancer patients
• Opportunity to practice clinical skills e.g. catheterisation
• Checking drugs and learning injection technique
• Understanding asepsis
• Opportunity to see different types of surgery eg plastics, ENT, breast, colorectal, genito-urinary.

• Monday to Friday
• 3 days: 08.00 to 18.00
• 1 day: 08.00 to 17.30

• Telephone Number Theatres: 0161 446 4134/387

Day Services is continually developing. This is brought about by the large increase in day case treatments for cancer, particularly those undergoing chemotherapy. This can be in the form of investigations prior to the treatment, having chemotherapy itself, treatment for the side effects of the chemotherapy and follow up care.

Day services includes:-

• Outpatients
• Research Nurses / Nurse Clinicians
• Endocrine Department
• Ward 5
• Chemotherapy Suite

Outpatients and Ward 5 will act as split hub placements for Branch students and the other areas will be spoke placements. Students will have the opportunity to follow disease orientated placement weeks, working with research nurses, nurse clinicians, nurse specialists and chemotherapy nurses.

Day Services are continually developing. This has been brought about by the large increase in day case treatments for cancer, particularly those undergoing chemotherapy. This can be in the form of investigations prior to the treatment, having chemotherapy itself, treatment for the side effects of the chemotherapy and follow up care.

Day services includes: Outpatients, Derek Crowther Unit, Nurse clinicians, Endocrine department, Ward 5 and the Chemotherapy Suite. Outpatients and Ward 5 will act as hub placements for Branch students and the other areas will be 'spoke' placements. Students will have the opportunity to follow disease orientated placement weeks, working with research nurses, nurse clinicians, nurse specialists and chemotherapy nurses.

The outpatient department is extremely busy. Patients attend for appointments, whether it is for chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. Newly diagnosed patients will attend, but also patients who are being reviewed between their treatments or many years after their treatments have been completed.

There is a phlebotomy room within the department as most patients have blood taken prior to seeing the doctor. Blood count results are very important, especially if the patients are to receive chemotherapy. There is also a dental suite, which enables patients to be treated for any dental problems they may encounter during or after chemotherapy.

Team nursing is practised in the Outpatient department, therefore student's will be assigned to a team of nurses, headed by a senior staff nurse. You will be allocated a mentor on arrival to the department.

Shift Times

• 0800 - 1700
• 0830 - 1700

The research nurses are mainly based in the Derek Crowther Unit (DCU). Patients treated on the DCU are mainly having trial chemotherapy treatments and are cared for by the Research nurses who each work for particular D.O.G Groups (Disease Orientated Groups). The research nurses also work with consultants in their outpatient clinics. Patients are generally treated on a day case basis.

Endocrine Department

The endocrine department consists of the Endocrine Bay on ward 9 and several specialised endocrine outpatients clinics. On ward 9 we offer day care services to our patients e.g. treatments, specific endocrine tests and we also have ongoing research studies

Chemotherapy Day Services consists of the Chemotherapy Suite and Ward 5. Both high volume areas provide facilities for all stages of patients receiving curative or palliative chemotherapy for malignant disease.

The suite can be located off the main corridor by the Outpatient department and is the base for the Chemotherapy Team. The suite is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm excluding Bank Holidays.

The suite has 12 individual treatment areas to administer bolus chemotherapy, ambulatory chemotherapy and short infusional treatments.

This experienced team (Band 6 and 7 nurses) provide an inpatient and outpatient service to the hospital and cover designated peripheral clinics. Patient education, support and staff training is a fundamental aspect of the role.

The team offer a range of in-house training programmes including cannulation and chemotherapy administration courses. The Intravenous Trainer is responsible for basic IV training and support within the Trust and is also a member of the Chemotherapy team.

There are close links with the multi-disciplinary team within the Trust and the community where we provide training for central venous care (Hickman Lines and Peripheral Inserted Catheters).

Ongoing support is also offered on a 24 hour basis via the Chemotherapy Hot Line for emergency enquiries.

Ward 5 can be found above Ward 3 on the 2nd floor. It opens Monday to Friday evening inclusive.
This department is unique as it provides an inpatient ward setting and an Out Patients service. Treatments can vary from day cases to 2-day regimes, for patients requiring a range of nursing care.
Due to the outpatient service and the need for prompt discharge there is an on-site pharmacy within the ward.

The ward team rotate with the chemotherapy suite staff to ensure a wealth of experience across the department and enhanced skills including central venous management, venepuncture, cannula care and general chemotherapy knowledge.

Key learning objectives

• Role of the chemotherapy nurse
• Observation of patient procedure
• Overview of Chemotherapy Day Services

Telephone: 0161 446 3766

Shifts: Early, late and twilight shifts Monday to Friday only

The complementary therapy service at The Christie is a flagship service having won national, NHS and local best practice awards.

The team comprises;

• 2 Clinical Lead Therapists (Christie Trust funded)
• 20 self employed therapists
• 15 volunteer therapists
• 1 events organiser

The focus of our work is to provide treatments for patients to help improve wellbeing, and assist with alleviating treatment related symptoms, concerns and side-effects, which we do in liaison with the multi-disciplinary teams throughout the hospital. Additionally, the team provide smoking cessation support, educational courses and are conducting research work on acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, relaxation techniques and hypnotherapy.

• Drs Peter Mackereth & Jacqui Stringer - Clinical Leads
• tel. no. 0161 446 8236/3524
• Fax 0161 446 8151
• Email: Peter.Mackereth@christie.nhs.uk or
• Email:  Jacqui.Stringer@christie.nhs.uk