Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

Clinical nurse specialists can be found across a range of different medical specialties and long term conditions e.g. Coronary Heart Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes. They are nurses who are trained and focus on a particular disease and are qualified to provide clinical input to patient care in place of a doctor. Every patient attending the Brownlee Centre is allocated a CNS and their role is to link that person to the department. The CNS can be contacted for any enquiry that is related to the management of HIV.

Nurse led clinics

Patients attend nurse-led clinics when they are considered to be stable and they have a less clinical and more holistic approach that focuses on lifestyle choices and health improvement. These include alcohol intake, diet, exercise, smoking, recreational drug use, sexual health and social circumstances.

At the nurse led clinic you will be reviewed by one of the nurse specialist team, not necessarily your allocated nurse.

Our goal is that all patients can develop a relationship with the care team that is built on trust and clear communication. If you have an issue related to your HIV treatment and care, we encourage you to get in touch as early as possible – don’t wait until you have reached crisis point!

First Visit

At your first visit to the Brownlee, you will be seen by the out-patient nursing staff who will carry out initial blood tests and a few other checks. You’ll meet your specialist nurse and sexual health advisor, and you will be given written information about HIV and the support services available.

You will then be given an appointment to be seen at the consultant clinic to review your blood tests.