PCFA has recently published guidelines for practice to aid in the definition of a best practice model for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse within the Australian health care context. This follows the very successful first year of the PCFA Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service which was launched in May 2012 and generously funded by The Movember Foundation.
The role of the specialist nurse in the care of patients with many types of chronic illness, including some with cancer, is well recognised and integrated into clinical practice at both a national and international level. However, there remains no accredited defined Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse position within Australia, and this can potentially lead to variations in practice.
The Practice Framework describes the scope of the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing role at both a clinical and strategic level to both information and influence practice at an advanced level.
The PCFA Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Program offers the thousands of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year with accessible specialist nursing care through the entire cycle of treatment – from immediately after diagnosis through to post treatment support.
The service will deliver Specialist Nurses to metropolitan and regional hospitals in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and the ACT.
Click here to read the Practice Framework and Competency Standards for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse.
