Finding your home in Urology is easy as there are so many different professional roles and there is such a wide clinical scope of practice.
From ward-based work to theatres, diagnostics to cancer treatment, research to continence community care, the possibilities are endless and you are bound to find exactly the right fit for you.
Pretty much everyone will need the help and support of a Urology nurse at some point during their lifespan so you will be able to apply your skills in caring for patients of all ages. Have a look at just some of the roles available within Urology and see what floats your boat…
Urology Ward Nursing
On a busy urology ward you will gain a broad range of skills and build your knowledge you need to care for all kinds of urology patients. Even if your career eventually takes you outside urology, you will have a sound basis of useful skills such as ‘trial without catheter’ (TWOC), catheterisation and intermittent self catheterisation (ISC) and bladder washout.
You will learn how to care for patients with kidney, prostate and bladder problems, stones and stents, pre and post-surgery. You will also get an insight into some of the other clinical roles you may encounter on the ward. If your department has an ACP or SCP you may want to find out about their work and the training they need. Cancer Nurses and Specialist Nurses can share their knowledge and advice and of course you will work with the Urology doctors, surgeons and trainees.
Ward nursing is a great place to begin your career in Urology but it’s not the only way in as you will see…
Urology Theatre Nursing
Working in theatre is another brilliant way to learn more about Urology and the job roles it provides. Your work here supports the patient during the perioperative journey and gets to the real nitty gritty of urological surgery. No other speciality offers the range of surgeries and diagnostic interventions that Urology theatres does.
Don’t be mistaken that your patients will all be asleep as so many urological procedures are undertaken under local and spinal anaesthetics. Having genital surgery while awake or flexible cystoscopy (if your department provides this service) can be terrifying for the person undergoing the procedure but your care, reassurance and support will make all the difference for them.
The operations themselves are truly fascinating and observing the surgery can teach you about the human body and disease in a way that nothing else ever could. Your attention to detail and first-class teamwork will keep your patients safe during one of their most risky and stressful days of their life. It’s also fun to be part of the multidisciplinary team in theatres and you will enjoy the camaraderie. An often overlooked perk of theatre work is that every day starts afresh with something new and at the end of the day your work is done.
Urology Specialist Nurse – benign / diagnostic
This role encompasses core specialist skills such as LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms) assessment, urodynamics, continence assessment and teaching ISC. You will often see patients by yourself in your own clinics, with your own caseload and make decisions about the treatment and management of patient conditions. You will usually work across several departments and sometimes different sites rather than be based solely in one area as your skills and knowledge will be requested for many different services.
There can be sub-speciality roles within this job title such as Andrology, Continence or Stone Specialist Nurse. Here you will develop highly evolved levels of knowledge and expertise and will be a point of contact for advice for clinicians including GPs and secondary care healthcare professionals. Your patients will be so grateful to you for helping them improve the problems which have blighted their lives, often for many years, before becoming brave enough to seek help.
Urology Specialist Nurse – cancer
As a cancer specialist nurse your focus will be on the patient journey around their diagnosis of cancer and their pathway of management afterwards. There is necessarily a large element of emotional support required in this role and you will undergo special training to help manage the most difficult of conversations.
You will join the cancer MDT (multidisciplinary team) meeting each week where patients’ results are discussed, and decisions made about appropriate treatment options. It will then be your job to help the patient to understand the ramifications of possible treatments and support them to make their decision.
This is hugely rewarding work and your understanding and knowledge of urological cancers will make a big difference to the lives of those in your care. You will be at the forefront of developments in medical and surgical research in your area of urological cancer as you and your patients may be involved in clinical trials.
Surgical Care Practitioner
The SCP works closely with the surgical team and is directly responsible to the Consultant Surgeon with whom they work. There are particular training courses available to undertake this role which are accessible around the country and it is estimated that around 200 SCPs are currently practising in the UK.
You will see patients on the ward before their surgery, preparing and assessing them before their operation takes place. In theatre you may undertake certain minor surgical procedures independently as well as acting as first assistant to the surgeon. Post-operatively you will arrange further treatment and follow up, along with prescribing, ordering and interpreting tests.
Advanced Nurse Practitioner / Advanced Clinical Practitioner
The ANP/ACP is responsible for clinical decision-making at the same level as a Registrar doctor and is educated to Masters level in advanced clinical practice. This is an autonomous surgical role in that the postholder will undertake their own surgical interventions such as flexible cystoscopy, haematuria assessment and prostate biopsy. You will have trained for may years for this role and will be part of the surgical rota having your own operating lists.
Many ACPs in particular will have a ward-focused element to their job, attending ward round and on-calls when required. You will be an experienced prescriber and request bloods, CT, MRI and other scans (and interpret them where competent). Your skills will be highly valued by the department and you will enjoy being responsible for your caseload where you can positively impact patient outcomes, in many cases without the patient ever needing to see a doctor.
Nurse Consultant / Consultant Clinical Practitioner
This role represents the highest level of Urological clinical nursing. There is often a research component to this job with strong links to university and the post-holder may have a PhD or be working towards one. You will be responsible for the strategic direction of clinical urology nursing as well as maintain your own caseload at the level of the ANP/ACP.
There a very few Urology non-medical Consultants in the country but those that do exist are involved at a national level in formulating guidance documents and influencing the national healthcare agenda.