Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service
The Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service is a new national program to help those affected by prostate cancer The service will be delivered by a team of expert prostate cancer nurses in all states and territories across Australia.
They will help those affected by prostate cancer by:
- Providing a point of contact and support for patients and carers
- Assisting patients to access services in their community both during and after treatment
- Providing reliable information about diagnosis and treatment plans
- Co-ordinating care wherever a patient is in their cancer journey.
Meet Lauren Wood, the new PCFA Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse at Royal Adelaide Hospital
“Any cancer diagnosis causes huge levels of anxiety and certainly men with prostate cancer can experience an enorvnous lack of control over themselves and their bodies. They are faced with a great deal of uncertainty and, in some cases, sadness and depression.
An important difference with prostate cancer is the degree of choice. Men have varied treatment alternatives with different results and side-effects that can be very personal and distressing, from incontinence to erectile dysfunction.
So they need to be made aware of the full picture right from the start. They need to be communicated with directly, as do their significant others. A Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse has expert knowledge in the treatment of the cancer and management of side-effects, to be able to coordinate and streamline care and provide effective support. In my case, I have a background in oncology and urology nursing.
Building trust and a rapport where you are in a position to reassure and empower men and their families is also very important.
700 prostate cancer patients come through this hospital a year. I will be extremely busy trying to see everyone! But I hope to be there at or just after diagnosis and in the treatment planning phase. Also by email and in business hours over the phone to discuss how men are feeling and support their decision-making.
I’m a point of reference through the entire cycle of a man’s cancer journey. If there are any questions, I can refer them on to other specialists, both medical and in the community, for management of side effects plus any other issues they might have.
My ultimate goal is to see men feeling better, whatever they are facing.”
Help us raise $350,000 by 30 June so that we can plan for additional nurses to help more men like Terry.
Click here to download the PCFA flyer as a PDF.
Source: Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service (http://mhaweb.squarespace.com/storage/files/PCFA_Specialist_Nursing_Service.pdf)
