The Cancer Nurse Specialist (CNS) Day is held on Friday 15th March to mark and celebrate the incredible work that they do. On average, someone is diagnosed with cancer every 90 seconds in England, and they seek the expert support of this profession. Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists are experts in their field, offering a unique blend of skills to provide quality care to patients throughout the cancer pathway. They are pivotal in the coordination and delivery of personalised care interventions and offer support physically and emotionally. Cancer clinical nurse specialists are highly regarded because of their specialist training and education and for choose to work in an extremely demanding and complex field of healthcare.
The team have received some lovely feedback that we would like to share from one of our patients to celebrate CNS Day.
“From the start of my cancer journey the upper GI (gastrointestinal) specialist nurses along with Macmillan have been amazing. After initial meetings with oncologists and surgeons, the specialist nurses remained with us to ensure we understood any forthcoming procedures, to answer any questions and provide much needed tissues and reassurances. Prior to surgery I was invited to ‘surgical school’ where again they were professional and knowledgeable. Following surgery, I was visited on the wards and given support and advice, and more importantly, the opportunity to ask questions and ask seek guidance.
At every stage the CNS’s were there to assist, telephoning my GP to request further medication, discussing with doctors about increasing dosages of medication and sorting appointments for me to go into hospital when I felt discomfort in my throat and difficulty swallowing. Each time they offered reassurance and comfort, calling back and contacting other professional services when needed. When the ‘C’ word is said, your brain closes down, fuzzes over and dread fills your bones. Knowing that the Upper GI Nurse Specialist Team were at the end of the phone was an extreme relief. No problem or question was too silly or small, we felt supported and relieved to have a knowledgeable point of contact to fight our corner all the way. Thank you, for being there for us.”