Nurses lead the way to cancer

Nursing consultation Arancha Sistiaga Lopetegui inside Navarra University Hospital (Huns) “This is not a normal query” So I want to personalize it. Round tables bring intimacy and warmth to the environment, and a wind comb draws attention as well. As he explained, looking at the ocean “gave me a lot of peace of mind”. to their domain, in the old emergency of the Virgen del Camino, Patients arriving at hospital ‘often thinking they had spots, pneumonia and were in pulmonologist’s office’ – it’s in the next room – They were shocked by the information they just received: Lung cancer is highly suspected”. Arantxa was with them “from the first minute of the entire diagnostic process” When they went into her office with her and received all the information from the doctor, “a lot of people started crying because they couldn’t take it anymore.”

Chestnut One of four nurse case managers who have been integrated into the hospital’s multidisciplinary cancer unit.pioneer is Carmen Zuberdia Incharondo, the project began in 2018 at the multidisciplinary Gynecological Cancer Unit.Two months later, followed up Asan Sanz Jimenez In colorectal cancer, implanted in the lung cancer unit in 2020, starting in 2021 Edurne Olayan Goni for childhood cancer.yes Referral nurses for these patients and their families, as well as the health professionals involved in their careAlthough each has its role.

multidisciplinary unit

“I am both the patient’s nurse and the patient’s family nurse”

“My role is to diagnose”’, said Arantxa, who also accompanied the pulmonologist to his consultations, so the “teamwork” and “we work very closely” gave “the patient a lot of peace of mind.” “First I spent time with him, then here, we review all the tests, we tell him how the whole lung cancer rapid cycle will work, and I clarify what was explained to him in the medical consultation.i give you my phone – Working hours are Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm – and I stay with you all the way until the end and then start the treatment. and, if you need psychological careWe see some people not waiting for the diagnosis to end, but asking for it at the beginning, they are derived to psychology”. In this way, he concluded, they gave them a “Comprehensive Care” They even pay attention to eating or sleeping, “they always have someone they can turn to”.

As your partner added Asan Sans, “We are built within the framework of a multidisciplinary unit, a group of resources that deliver the best patient care, best scientific evidence, personalization and increased efficiency”. He continued that in these units, which “previously existed” and were called technical committees, “had included case managers nurses, administrators and coordinators who used the data and prepared the unit’s annual activity report, among other functions” .

Case manager nurses are newcomers to these thematic multidisciplinary teams, whose The function is to accompany and care for patients and their families, respond to the special needs of patients throughout the process, and coordinate the medical team to ensure compliance with the treatment plan.

When it came to colorectal cancer, Asan began working with diagnostic doubts. “I’ve started from scratch. Patients can use my mobile phone if they have any questions, and we will consult Start with a general assessment to see if you need some kind of social help”For that, he noted, he would talk to the health center or whoever needed it. “I prepare the papers for the committee to present the case, and then, We take care of the appointment (surgery, oncology…) in order to be done in the most agile manner and avoid duplication. After treatment is finished, it will be reassessed how far it has progressed and whether more or less is needed.It is a very long process involving many health workers and we act as coordinators of the team and patient care”. However, it ensures “In every service they have great professionals who give them great care, but really, they use us as a reference in a transversal way throughout the process, they turn to us because we’re easy to approach”.

“very close” relationship

“It’s important to have someone you can turn to”

“The public is happy. Find someone, who you can go to…” It’s helpful, admits Arantxa, who cares for about 500 patients a year, about 400 of whom are diagnosed.As Asun mentioned, he consulted another 400 patients for this work is empathy is important “Knowing the moment the patient is going through because the disease has nothing to do with other diseases.”

With lung cancer, “the bad thing is, it doesn’t show up until very late,” Arantxa noted. So, many people look good – report they walk or go up hills every day – But they complain of pain, especially pain. We try to mitigate the situation, and if I find out she’s at risk for depression, I send her to a psychologist right away. It’s the same with pain: we treat them, and two days later, they call me, or I call them.”

so these nurses They carry out nursing work, research – participate in quality of life research –, teacher – Serves as a mentor to oncology specialists and trains the rest of the service – and managerthey initiated “very close” relationship with those who come to consult. “Every person and every family faces this process in a different way and you have to understand and accept them. So the first contact is very useful to welcome them and they can face it in a safer way”, explains Asun. “The center is the patient” and “we are here to help”, adds his partner , “We will continue to work hard to improve where we can improve.” Facing cancer can cause fear, uncertainty, distress, anxiety… The message these nurses are sending to them is that they will be with them and be there for them. “We will guide you down this path that you started today, which can be very difficult, and every moment we will explain everything you need”, Arantxa told them. “You can, oncology has advanced a lot, it’s very individualized, it may take longer, but it will be a treatment with your first and last name,” he concluded.