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Nursing

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Introduction

The Department of Nursing Administration, guided by the strategic vision of the National Cancer Centre, seeks to provide care that meets the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient, without discrimination, and to support the patient’s family (caregivers) during the cancer trajectory.

Our philosophical and ethical concepts emphasise equality and continuity of care, recognising the dignity and worth of individuals within the context of cultural, economic and social differences among patients.

Our aim of care is to deliver nursing care that will enhance the highest quality of life (as perceived by the patient). We seek to collaborate with the patient, significant others, and multidisciplinary cancer care team to formulate desired outcomes of care, treatment plans, and evaluate the quality of nursing care and other decisions related to patient care.

Specialised Nursing Services and Procedures

Oncology trained nurses are deployed in different units. Using a team nursing model, each team will have a team leader who will facilitate the care plan for all new cases to ensure that problems and outcomes are appropriately and comprehensively identified.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Treatments

The Ambulatory Treatment Unit (ATU) handled more than 30,000 therapeutic treatments and procedures annually.

ATU nurses are trained to administer intensive chemotherapy protocols via the peripheral lines and central venous devices.

Patient Education and Support

Nurses provide patient education which serves to equip them with the essential knowledge and self-care skills so as to ensure their compliance with treatment, appropriate self-care, timely and accurate reporting of symptoms or health changes. Patients are taught the disease process, side effects of treatment, potential impact on their families, appropriate skills to meet these needs as well as details regarding signs and symptoms to report.

Oncology nurses also provide emotional and psychosocial support to their patients and families.

Clinical Trials

During clinical trials conducted by the medical clinicians, oncology nurses play an active role by reviewing and reinforcing proposed protocols prior to implementation and identifying potential problems in implementation. In addition the nurses see how they can meet patients’ needs during the administration of protocol.

Operating Theatre and Endoscopy Suite Services

Nurses at the OT and Endoscopy Suite provide comprehensive care for patients undergoing diagnostic, interventional, and surgical procedures during the pre, intra and post-operative/ procedural phrases of care.

Our OT caters to day surgeries, while the Endoscopy Suite caters to a number of diagnostic, minor ano-rectal and endo-anal procedures.

Services at Specialist Oncology Clinics

Nurses at SOCs attend to more than 12,000 new attendances annually. Our SOC nurses also provide wound management services to the patients. These include the management of breast fungating wounds, extravasation wounds and open thoracic window of thoracotomy wounds. In addition, they also play the educator's role and teach the caregivers how to dress the wounds at home.

Nurse Clinician Services

Our nurse clinicians play an indispensable role in ensuring that the delivery of the specialty service to patients is cost-effective and conducted professionally for better patient outcomes. Our nurse clinicians assess, develop, implement and evaluate nursing practices in their selected field of specialty. They work with nurse managers, a nurse educator and other healthcare professionals in assessing and managing the needs of the patients requiring the specialty service. They also collaborate with nurse managers and a nurse educator in planning, implementing and evaluating the education programmes and written educational resources for patients, significant others and the public.

Our advanced practice nurses, which are essentially expert nurses work collaboratively with the physicians to diagnose, treat and manage a group of patients. They form an integral part of the clinical team. Besides their clinical role, the advanced practice nurses are also involved in research and teaching of nurses and patients.

Nursing Services in Radiation Oncology

Radiation Oncology Nurses provide clinical care and assist in the management of side effects from external beam radiation therapy and High Dose Rate Brachytherapy. Also educates patient and caregivers on symptoms management and self care measures to manage acute general and site specific toxicities of radiotherapy.

Quality Management Services

One of our goals is to deliver cost-effective, safe and quality care to our patients. Quality audits are carried out regularly in our nursing units with the aim of ensuring a highly consistent standard of nursing care and service. Patient satisfaction surveys are conducted annually at ATU and SOC to measure patients’ expectation and their level of satisfaction with the nursing services. Feedback is also collated from the patient feedback forms. There is also a loop-back system in the evaluation of patients’ feedback for continual improvement. By engaging nurses in quality activities, we hope to promote a sense of creativity, critical thinking, as well as cultivating a learning culture in quality improvement among nurses.