Forum Discussion
Breast Care Nurses
One of the things I've noticed since I've been on this forum are various discussions about Breast Care Nurses - who has one, what do they do, whether they're helpful or not, how to access one... etc, etc. It all seems like a great idea and the couple I have met seem very nice but the actual application of the service on the whole seems to be rather slipshod. The ones I met in hospital when I had surgery were helpful at the time and rang once when I got home to check that I was okay but I was very surprised to find out months later, that they were meant to be my nurses on a continuing basis. I have not developed any relationship with them and, unless I end up back at that hospital, I feel I am unlikely to. I read people's posts saying how fantastic their bc nurses are and I also read posts asking how to access such a service. Absolutely not knocking the nurses, but wonder why it's such a hit and miss thing.
63 Replies
- I had my surgery privately which we paid for as we are self funded, I was a day patient for a lumpectomy. I'm now public for chemo and will be for radiation. So far I'm happy with my decision.
- I guess what disappointed me with my private hospital was the lack of follow up after surgery and radiation which in another local but public hospital is not the case. Maybe I needed to shop around about hospitals.
I did not expect nor know what a bc nurse does until many months later listening to other bc people eulogising the care they received. There was a point when it would have been good to have this.
Breast Cancer sadly is big business due to the large number of people diagnosed and hospitals are service providers not all of which may realise this.
I will follow up about being a private patient in a public hospital here and what the constraints are.What I have been told to date by others who have gone this route there is not much.
I admit to being annoyed about the $2000 gap on radiotherapy I had to pay despite being privately insured and am grateful on many levels that I only had 16 rounds.
The feed was about bc nurses and I did not think much of mine .They were window dressing at best as far as my care was concerned. - Having worked in a public hospital for a very long time, I would not be a patient in a public hospital. Being able to decide when and where I wanted to go into hospital with my own doctor was very important to me. We borrowed from our mortgage account for my reconstruction because I felt like a freak.
I now see my oncologist as a private patient. There is a cost but I would have had to wait much longer. - As my surgeon practices both at public and private hospital if there is a next time I would go as a private patient in a public hospital . From what I have learned I would go public for radiotherapy as there appears to be no difference in care but a large cost in the private system.
- I met my breastcare nurse when I went in to see the surgeon the first time. She gave me her card with her contact details and organised the My Journey kit for me. She is great! My treatment was relatively easy so I didn't need a lot of contact, but whenever I go in to see anyone there she greets me like a long lost friend, actually most of the staff do!!! :smiley: I went through the public system at the Mater Brisbane.
- Thanks Marianne
