Posted 23 December 2015 - 09:49
Posted 23 December 2015 - 09:49
News
Specialist nurses win national award for championing breast cancer care
Team of breast cancer nurses in north Devon are praised for their collaborative working
A trio of specialist nurses have won a national award for their work in supporting patients with breast cancer.
The breast cancer team at Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust clinched a £1,000 prize for their collaborative working at the Breast Cancer Care Nursing Network Awards in London.
Clinical nurse specialist Karen Hillman and breast care nurses Claire Herlihy and Amy Barrow have been teaming up with colleagues in the hospital’s lymphoedema service since 2012. They joined forces in response to feedback from patients with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer. Many had expressed a wish to receive more information about lymphoedema.
The two teams came up with proposals to inform and assess patients, and fundraised for specialist equipment and a pre-op clinic, where patients can have an appointment with lymphoedema nurses Hayley Moore or Georgina Martin.
Ms Hillman said: 'It has resulted in patients being better informed and supported at a potentially stressful time. Feedback has been very positive.’