Oral Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2023

Dedicated metastatic breast care nurses- providing expert clinical and supportive care to those with metastatic breast cancer (#64)

Kerry Patford 1 , Olivia Cook 1 , Jane Mahony 1 , Jenny Gilchrist 1 , James Townsend 1
  1. Nursing Program Team, McGrath Foundation, North Sydney, NSW, Australia

Research has identified the need for greater supportive care for people affected by metastatic breast cancer, recognizing that they experience complex unmet supportive care needs. Since 2010 the McGrath Foundation has funded and placed 43 new breast care nurse positions across the Australia dedicated to the care of people with metastatic breast cancer. In this presentation we will report on the impact and contribution of metastatic McGrath breast care nurses (mMBCNs) across Australia to date. We will also share the comprehensive professional development and support program offered to mMBCNs to enable them to provide complex care to people with metastatic breast cancer and contribute meaningfully to the MDT. A content analysis of activity reported by the mMBCNs between 2010 and 2023 was conducted to identify the impact, reach and and categorisation of care provided by the mMBCNs. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyse data by type of care provided, time period, jurisdiction and episodes of care. In the first half of 2023, mMBCNs delivered over 25000 episodes of care and collectively admitted over 1500 new patients to their services. We know that as emerging treatment options continue to extend the survival for people with metastatic breast cancer, the need for specialist nursing care will continue to increase.  The care provided by mMBCNs can be broadly categorized as education; psychosocial support; clinical care and care coordination. To ensure that mMBCNs are well prepared and supported in their roles the McGrath Foundation provides clinical supervision; experiential learning through practicum placements and robot assisted learning; comprehensive online learning modules, clinical leadership; conference attendance and in-person workshops. Support is also required from oncology teams to fully integrate and utilise mMBCN roles to their full potential. Development of a dedicated model of care for metastatic disease is planned to support the full integration of mMBCN roles into multidisciplinary care.