Lea Fitzsimmons

Qualifications

DipHE Nursing Studies, ENB 237, BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies, Non Medical Prescriber

Specialisms

Palliative Care Nurse Specialist, Nurse Prescriber & verification of expected deaths.

Introduction

I qualified as an adult registered nurse in 1996. On completion of my nursing diploma I worked in Europe’s largest bone marrow transplant unit in London. My role largely involved administering IV medications, blood products, cytotoxic agents, bone marrow and stem cells. I then transferred to St. Bartholomew’s hospital in London to study on the ENB 237 oncology course whilst rotating through all aspects of oncological care, gaining experience in solid tumours and continuing to administer chemotherapy treatments and caring for both curative and palliative cancer patients. After 18 months I returned to UCLH in London where I spent a further 6 years caring for people with a variety of haematological malignancies. Also during this time I completed my BSc in Nursing Studies.

Since 2008 I have worked as a Clinical Nurse specialist in palliative care, supporting people with life limiting and life threatening conditions, delivering expert symptom management of complex issues for patients following cancer treatments and for end of life patients, this includes complex pain control, management of nausea, vomiting, constipation and dyspnoea. I have written trust guidelines for the management of malignant bowel obstruction and verification of expected deaths and audited the effectiveness of both. I am an independent prescriber and routinely prescribe medications to alleviate symptoms. My daily work requires safely prescribing controlled drugs and ensuring these are administered in a timely manner. I specialise in palliative medicine, cancer care and non medical prescribing, I keep up to date by regularly attending NMP study days and updates, yearly advanced pain and symptom management training and regularly teach junior colleagues communication skills and end of life care. I also routinely participate in departmental and trust level mortality review meetings.

I accept instructions from both claimant and defendant solicitors and insurers. I have undergone formal training in the medico-legal process and am fully aware of my responsibilities under Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) pertaining to expert witnesses.