Establishing an evidence base for the specialist breast nurse: A model for Australian breast cancer care

Abstract

The unmet needs of women with breast cancer have been extensively documented. In the United Kingdom, theintroduction of the specialist breast nurse (SBN) role has been one strategy to improve the psychological wellbeing ofwomen. This paper describes a SBN model of care and clinical pathway for Australian treatment settings, developedfrom systematic reviews of research and clinical practice guidelines for the treatment and psychosocial care of womenwith breast cancer. The model acknowledges the SBN as an integral member of the multi-disciplinary team with akey role to meet the emotional and informational needs of women diagnosed with breast cancer from the time ofdiagnosis through to follow up after treatment.Key words: breast cancer, specialist breast nurse, evidence-based, clinical practice guidelines, clinical pathway,psychosocial support