Specialist Nurse Programme
Our Specialist Nurse Programme started in 2002, and completed in August 2007. The programme placed a complement of nurses in six National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. These specialist nurse posts were for a three year limited period, and the aim of the programme was to improve practice at a local and national level.
Read biographies of our specialist nurses.
This project aimed to:
- improve the experience of men with prostate cancer by appointing and placing six Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses in key treatment centres in the UK for a three year pilot project
- employ specialist nurses who will provide emotional support, information and advice, refer to local health and care networks, and provide support in clinical and community settings
- identify the information and support needs of men affected by prostate cancer and create more efficient systems of referral
- address the needs of men with, or at risk of, prostate cancer who are disadvantaged by age, isolation, disability or ethnicity, and ensure that systems are developed which are accessible and inclusive
- identify gaps in service provision and respond quickly, gathering evidence and support for long-term involvement and commitment
These nurse posts represented a significant investment for the organisation. We do not have (and for the foreseeable future will not have) the funding to employ enough nurses to meet the needs of all men with prostate cancer. Nor do we aim to do this, believing this to be the responsibility of the NHS. We have used clear and appropriate criteria to decide where our resources were invested to achieve the greatest influence.
Such criteria include:
- the nature and efficiency of local health service infrastructure
- the willingness of the potential NHS host team to improve their prostate cancer services in partnership with a voluntary organisation
- the incidence and prevalence of prostate cancer in particular areas
- access to effective and timely treatments
- commitment by the host NHS body to continue funding of the post beyond the trial period
- the involvement of the unit in groundbreaking clinical trials
- a varied patient population
Evaluation and support
The first plans for the programme did not include a process of rigorous evaluation. In order to prove its worth and demonstrate its impact, it is important that the programme underwent rigorous evaluation by a recognised independent body. Methods of evaluation were explored and put out to tender. A team led by Professor Alison Richardson (Professor of Cancer & Palliative Nursing Care) and Dr Emma Ream from King’s College London secured the project, and evaluation began in Spring 2004. The data collection is now complete and has been analysed. Academic articles have been submitted for publication in 2008, and the Charity has already responded by developing it's first Prostate Cancer Masterclass held with King's College London, in April 2008, in response to specialist nursing education requirements identified through outcomes of this significant piece of research.
If you would like further information about the programme or other aspects of our work with health professionals please contact Georgia Diebel, Health Services Liaison Manager, via email at georgia.diebel@prostate-cancer.org.uk or telephone 020 8222 7689.