Cancer Nursing Practice

Cancer pain: learn how to improve quality of life by encouraging patients to talk about pain.

This article from Cancer Nursing Practice offers tips on communication skills for nurses specifically about cancer-related pain.

https://rcni.com/cancer-nursing-practice/newsroom/analysis/cancer-pain-how-improved-nurse-patient-communication-can-help-207336

Demand for systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) has grown in recent years.

This article in Cancer Nursing Practice has been written to help nurses better understand the implications of the growing demand for SACT.

Written by Ayrshire and Arran Macmillan nurse consultant Caroline Rennie and Macmillan practice development facilitator Nicky Batty.

Systemic anticancer therapy service redesign Systemic anticancer therapy service redesign

Learn how cancer nurses can approach difficult conversations and empower parents to have honest conversations with their children.

Death of a parent from cancer: how to prepare children Honest conversations with children about end of life when a parent is dying of cancer can have a positive impact on the way they cope with the grieving process

Cancer and its associated treatments can result in a range of adverse symptoms which can affect a person’s ability to consume food and fluids.

This CPD article in RCNi’s Cancer Nursing Practice discusses nutrition impact symptoms and the dietary modifications that can be used to manage them.

Supporting people to manage nutrition throughout their cancer journey Supporting people to manage nutrition throughout their cancer journey

Do we need personalised cancer care in primary care?

This practice question explores the components of the personalised care framework and if we need it in primary care.

Do we need personalised cancer care in primary care? Personalised care is not routinely available for everyone with cancer, but with its focus on what matters to patients it can give them more choice and control

How can we improve the pancreatic cancer patient care pathway?

Pancreatic Cancer UK specialist nurse Di Dobson discusses the condition and how improvements should be made to the patient care pathway.

How can we improve the pancreatic cancer patient care pathway? Pancreatic Cancer UK specialist nurse Di Dobson strongly believes people with the condition deserve better and wants improvements to the patient care pathway

Lynch syndrome is an autosomal dominant inherited condition which predisposes individuals to developing certain cancers.

This article discusses the importance of healthcare professionals providing patients with information about Lynch syndrome, and making clinical genetics referrals where appropriate.

Awareness and understanding of Lynch syndrome among patients with endometrial cancer Awareness and understanding of Lynch syndrome among patients with endometrial cancer

Have you ever thought about a career in cancer nursing?

Find out why these inspirational nurses chose the profession and why it continues to inspire them:

Why I became a cancer nurse – and why it still inspires me From personal experience of cancer to being inspired by patients’ empowerment via finding meaning to life, five nurses explain why they chose cancer nursing

Menopause induced by cancer treatment: a nurse’s guide

Some cancer treatments can cause the onset of menopause, which can be a shock.

Find out how nurses can reduce anxiety and best support patients.

Menopause induced by cancer treatment: how to support patients Some cancer treatments can induce early menopause which can be a shock, nurses can reduce anxiety by informing, offering support and helping to prepare patients

How to address inequalities for Deaf people living with cancer

Cancer care delays are acutely felt by Deaf people as communication needs are often overlooked, but nurses can help to ensure this group is not left behind.

How to address inequalities for Deaf people living with cancer Cancer care delays are acutely felt by Deaf people as communication needs are often overlooked, but nurses can help to ensure this group is not left behind

This CPD article from RCNi’s Cancer Nursing Practice is an essential guide to the digital systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) competency passport.

The UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) developed the SACT competency passport to support training and assessment of SACT nurses.

This CPD helps nurses learn about the development of the passport that aims to improve learning experience and accessibility for users.

The authors explain how to complete and mark the passport, how to assess others with it and how to provide feedback.

The CPD has been made open access until 20 November to coincide with the UKONS annual conference.

Read it now > https://journals.rcni.com/cancer-nursing-practice/cpd/the-digital-systemic-anticancer-therapy-competency-passport-a-guide-to-completion-marking-and-assessment-cnp.2023.e1852/abs

What cancer waiting time target changes mean for nurses

The NHS has its worst cancer waiting time targets record in 2022, but a streamlining of standard hopes to bring about a positive change.

What cancer waiting time target changes mean for nurses The NHS had its worst cancer waiting time targets record in 2022, but a streamlining of standards hopes to bring about a positive change

Non-smoking lung cancer: a guide for nurses

This comment piece discusses what nurses can do to ensure that red flag symptoms of non-smoking lung cancer are picked up promptly.

Non-smoking lung cancer: how nurses can support earlier diagnosis Lung cancer numbers are rising among people who have never smoked but nurses can help ensure that red flags symptoms are picked up promptly

Palliative care: navigating the shift from curative treatment

Learn how to communicate significant news to patients while listening to their needs and considering the impact on their life.

Palliative care: navigating the shift from curative treatment Advice for nurses on communicating bad news to patients, supporting them in advanced stages of illness and being clear about what palliative care actually is

New cancer treatments and trials: managing patients’ expectations

New cancer drugs are in development but it can be more than a decade before they are considered for use.

Learn how to manage patient expectations so they remain realistic.

New cancer treatments and trials: managing patients' expectations Cancer drugs are developing at a rapid rate, but this does not mean they will be readily available to patients and sensitively communicating this reality is key

Lynch syndrome is an autosomal dominant inherited condition which predisposes individuals to developing certain cancers.

This Cancer Nursing Practice article discusses the importance of healthcare professionals providing patients with information about Lynch syndrome, and making clinical genetics referrals where appropriate.

Awareness and understanding of Lynch syndrome among patients with endometrial cancer Awareness and understanding of Lynch syndrome among patients with endometrial cancer

CAR-T therapy: what is it and which patients can benefit from it?

Learn more about chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and what role nurses play in the process.

CAR-T therapy: what is it and which patients can benefit from it? Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy is an immunotherapy that can be used to treat some cancers and nurses have a key role to play in the patient journey

SACT safety guide: tips for nurses administering cancer drugs

Many nurses are unaware that some of the drugs they administer to patients could be hazardous to their own health.

Learn more about administering SACT safely and what the SACT passport is.

SACT safety guide: tips for nurses administering cancer drugs Some nurses are unaware of the risks of handling cytotoxic systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) agents used in cancer treatment, which can be hazardous to health

July marks Sarcoma Awareness Month – a rare type of cancer that develops in the soft tissue.

‘Rare types of cancers are on the rise, and we need to increase our knowledge and skills to enable faster diagnosis and treatment’

Sarcoma Awareness Month: a spotlight on rare but rising cancers Rare types of cancer are on the rise and nurses should keep up to date and enhance skills and knowledge of them to enable faster diagnosis and treatment

Pregnancy and cancer: what nurses need to know

Find out how to help women manage cancer symptoms and side effects during pregnancy.

Pregnancy and cancer: what nurses need to know Cancer during pregnancy is rare, but could become more common, here are tips on how nurses can help, advise and support women and their families

When diagnosed with cancer, people will experience heightened fears and anxieties.

Find out how nurses can help ease concerns and show patients they are not alone.

Living with cancer and its consequences for mental health Cancer diagnosis and treatment heightens people’s fears and anxieties, but nurses can help ease concerns and improve a patient’s mental health and well-being

If you ask young people with cancer what they want from nurses, good communication is high on the list.

Click here for tips on how to communicate effectively and avoid making assumptions based on age or appearance:

Talking about cancer: what young people want from nurses Good communication, being transparent and treating teenagers as young adults are some of the key points young people with cancer value from healthcare staff

The Breast Cancer Now service pledge is celebrating its 20thanniversary this year.

Learn more about what they do for breast cancer services in England:

Breast cancer care: our achievements from collaborative working The Breast Cancer Now service pledge celebrates 20 years of being a catalyst for change in nursing services, all shaped by listening and acting on patient feedback

Cancer care services face huge challenges post-pandemic, says CNP consultant editor Carole Farrell.

She discusses how many nurses are at breaking point due to working with reduced staffing levels and complex systems.

Cancer care services face huge challenges post-pandemic Nurses face a new level of challenges and many are at breaking point, reduced staffing levels and the challenges of complex systems only add to that pressure

Have you ever thought about becoming a clinical care specialist in cancer care?

Find out what the role involves and if you have the right skills for it.

Could you be a clinical nurse specialist in cancer care? Breast cancer clinical nurse specialist Jacob Rosamond answers questions about his job and offers advice to anyone interested in taking on a similar role

Have you ever thought about a career in cancer nursing?

Find out why these inspirational nurses chose the specialism and why it continues to inspire them:

Why I became a cancer nurse – and why it still inspires me From personal experience of cancer to being inspired by patients’ empowerment via finding meaning to life, five nurses explain why they chose cancer nursing

A new training tool has been introduced for nurses who administer systemic anti-cancer therapy in children and young people cancer services.

Find out how it works:

How the SACT passport could benefit children's cancer services Standardised training helps nurses administer systemic anti-cancer therapy for children and young people across trusts, benefiting patients and healthcare staff

Cancer and its associated treatments can result in a range of adverse symptoms which can affect a person’s ability to consume food and fluids.

Find out how nurses can support people to manage nutrition throughout their cancer journey.

Supporting people to manage nutrition throughout their cancer journey Supporting people to manage nutrition throughout their cancer journey

A nurse’s guide to a new end of life community sepsis tool:

New end of life community sepsis tool: what nurses need to know The UK Sepsis Trust and Marie Cure's latest version of the Sepsis Six tool helps nurses in the community to assess risk to patients and guide decision making

Agitation at the end of life: how to deal with distressing deaths

Agitation at the end of life: how to deal with distressing deaths Advice for nurses on spotting and managing terminal agitation symptoms, supporting families, and coping following a difficult patient death