Lea Fitzsimmons, Registered Nurse

Professional Experience

I qualified as an adult registered nurse in 1996 and began my career at Europe’s largest bone marrow transplant unit in London. My responsibilities included administering intravenous medications, blood products, cytotoxic agents, and stem cell infusions. I later joined St. Bartholomew’s Hospital to complete the ENB 237 oncology course, gaining comprehensive experience across solid tumour care, chemotherapy administration, and both curative and palliative oncology pathways. Following this, I returned to University College London Hospitals (UCLH), where I spent six years managing patients with haematological malignancies. During this period, I completed a BSc in Nursing Studies and developed expertise in complex cancer care.

Since 2008, I have worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in palliative care, supporting patients with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. My role involves advanced symptom management, including pain control, and the treatment of nausea, vomiting, constipation, and dyspnoea. I routinely prescribe controlled drugs and other medications as an independent prescriber, ensuring timely and safe symptom relief. I have authored clinical guidelines for the management of malignant bowel obstruction and verification of expected deaths, both of which I have audited for effectiveness. I also contribute to departmental and trust-level mortality review meetings.

Professional Development

My clinical practice is underpinned by ongoing professional development. I regularly attend non-medical prescribing (NMP) study days and annual advanced pain and symptom management training. I also deliver teaching sessions on communication skills and end-of-life care to junior colleagues. These activities ensure my practice remains current and evidence-based, particularly in the areas of palliative medicine, oncology, and pharmacology. My prescribing responsibilities require a detailed understanding of controlled drug legislation and safe administration protocols, which I maintain through continuous education and clinical governance participation.