ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to review the interpretations of specialist and advanced practice and encourage nurses working in cancer and palliative care to consider the implications of the debate surrounding specialist practice for their career development. It provides an overview of the development of specialist and advanced nursing roles within the UK since the emergence of these terms in publications by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) during the last 20 years. The chapter provides an overview of the development of the concepts of specialist and advanced nursing practice by the UKCC and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) within the UK. It considers the implications for nurses wishing to develop their careers or working within cancer and palliative care. Within cancer and palliative care, specialist roles include the site-specific roles, treatment-focused roles and generic oncology and palliative specialist roles.
