Two Clinical Nurse Specialists from Liverpool are leading the way nationally and internationally in steering Clinical Nurse Specialist forums specifically in lung malignancies.
Maria Guerin and Vanessa Beattie, who both work at Aintree University Hospital, were elected by fellow professionals to lead their respective forums in educating Clinical Nurse Specialists and designing ways of improving patient experience.
Maria, who has dedicated 33 years to the NHS, was appointed Chair for the International Thoracic Oncology Nurses Forum, while Vanessa, who began her career with the NHS in 1983, is Chair of the National Lung Cancer Forum for Nurses.
The pair have worked alongside each another for more than two decades and believe their appointment to these positions will benefit the service Aintree provides and could further improve the outcomes of those people affected by lung malignancies.
Maria said: “My positon as Chair for the international forum lasts three years and I hope in this time I can make a real impact. Mixing with colleagues globally gives me the opportunity to learn, replicate their successful practices at Aintree and pass them onto other hospitals, while also sharing some of the great work we are doing here in Liverpool.”
Aintree’s Lung Cancer service was the first in the UK to introduce Clinical Support Workers, a role that is now prominent in a number of hospitals in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Vanessa said: “The NHS is a unique health system with the UK having a strong template for Clinical Nurse Specialists, which other nations attempt to replicate. In our roles as national and international chairs, we can encourage more cohesion across the board. I hope, in the future, we will reflect on our current positions with a sense of achievement.”
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