My Working Day: Pauline Kehoe, Oncology Liaison Nurse at Waterford Regional Hospital, provides support to cancer patients.
There are two oncology liaison nurses in Waterford Regional Hospital, and our posts are funded by the Irish Cancer Society, through fundraising events such as Daffodil Day. We have a pivotal role in meeting the psychological, informational and practical needs of patients who are diagnosed with cancer, and also their families.
I work as part of a multidisciplinary team and I liaise closely with all the members of that team, such as the consultant, occupational therapist, dietician and pharmacist.
We also have a huge link with the community in that we link in with the public health nurses, hospice homecare teams and other support networks in the community that help the patient at home.
Obviously, receiving a cancer diagnosis is a very traumatic time for people and their families. They come to us quite shocked. I meet them with the medical oncologist and sit in on that consultation. Then immediately afterwards I will meet the patient and a family member and go back over what the medical oncologist has just said, maybe clarifying any issues that the patient is unclear about. We try to assess the impact of the diagnosis on them and their family and acknowledge those emotions and help them deal with that.
I then discuss their treatment plan, such as what the chemotherapy will involve. I talk to them about the side effects of the chemo, how to avoid them and how to deal with some of them. Apart from the physical effects they suffer, they have to deal with the fatigue related to it and perhaps also their body image, such as losing their hair.
I also assess their home situation and how they will be supported while they are going through their treatment. Even the logistics of getting in and out to the hospital for their treatment is discussed.
I provide general psychological support and I like to think I do that through providing information and education about the illness and the treatment.
Obviously there are days it's hard but I do love my job. If you can help patients in any way you can then they can concentrate on getting better.
The Irish Cancer Society said yesterday that this year's Daffodil Day, which took place on March 23rd, raised €3.8 million. This is the largest amount that has been raised since Daffodil Day first began.