A student reflects on the experience of shadowing a clinical nurse specialist and a senior research nurse

I recently completed my final placement of my second year of training and had already developed a keen interest in oncology and palliative care.

So I was delighted by my placement allocation at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. It included the opportunity to shadow a clinical nurse specialist and senior research nurse at the centre, part of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Clinical nurse specialist

I spent an afternoon sitting in on patient consultations with upper gastrointestinal advanced clinical nurse specialist (CNS) Sarah-Jane Thomson, an inspirational nurse who has worked extremely hard to reach her position.

As an advanced CNS, she is the care coordinator and key link worker between the patient and the rest of the multidisciplinary team,