Value to patients of a breast cancer clinical nurse specialist
Intended for healthcare professionals
Art & Science Previous     Next

Value to patients of a breast cancer clinical nurse specialist

Harriet Hardie Breast cancer clinical nurse specialist, cancer services, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Alison Leary Lead nurse, Lung cancer service, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Aim To compare patient experiences of the breast cancer nursing service before a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) was established in post and then one year after her appointment.

Method A questionnaire was handed out to 50 patients over a six-week period in May 2007 (pre-CNS survey) and one year later (post-CNS survey) to 32 of the original patients. Analysis was performed on the numerical data using Microsoft Excel. Content analysis was used to extract information from the free text.

Findings The evaluation showed that the CNS improved respondents’ experience and satisfaction with the breast cancer service. The pre-CNS survey highlighted that respondents wanted the CNS to be available after their consultation with the doctor to further explain information, and between clinic appointments to provide advice. Respondents also wanted the CNS to be a point of contact, to have specialist knowledge and to offer advice and support. The second survey showed that the CNS had improved the patient experience, and respondents were more satisfied with the service provided.

Conclusion This service evaluation supports the value of the CNS in improving patient experiences and developing services.

Nursing Standard. 24, 34, 42-47. doi: 10.7748/ns2010.04.24.34.42.c7720

Correspondence

harriet.hardie@kcl.ac.uk

Peer review

This article has been subject to double blind peer review

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more