Scottish cancer patient experience survey 2015-2016: exploring differences in patient experiences

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

A CNS is a specialist nurse who helps individuals diagnosed with cancer to get the right care and provides them with help and advice on coping with cancer.

Respondents were asked if they were given the name of a CNS who would support them through their treatment and how easy or difficult it had been for them to contact their CNS. Based on the responses to these questions, respondents were grouped into three sub-categories:

1. Had an easy to contact CNS

2. Had a neither easy nor difficult (neutral) to contact CNS

3. Had a difficult to contact CNS or not given the name of a CNS

The analysis shows that having an easy to contact CNS can have a significantly positive relationship with an individual’s experience of cancer care.

Every question analysed had a significant difference for this factor.

People who had a difficult to contact CNS or did not have a CNS were more negative about their experiences for 45 out of the 47 questions analysed compared to people with an easy to contact CNS. The two questions which did not show any significant difference asked whether:

• they had confidence and trust in the ward nurses treating them;
• the last time they had an outpatient appointment with a cancer doctor, they had the right documents (e.g. medical notes, x-rays, test results).

People who had a neutral to contact CNS were more negative about their experiences for 42 out of the 47 questions analysed compared to people with an easy to contact CNS. The five questions which did not show any significant difference asked whether:

• they had been told they could bring a family member or friend with them when they were first told they had cancer;
• when they were told they had cancer, they were given written information about the type of cancer they had;
• they had confidence and trust in the doctors treating them;
• in their opinion, there were enough nurses on duty to care for them in hospital;
• anyone had discussed taking part in cancer research with them since their diagnosis.