Appraising the need for Specialist Nursing to Support Women Living with Breast Cancer in England

Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to critically appraise the availability of specifically trained nurses to support people living with cancer, whilst reviewing some current issues challenging women in England suffering with breast cancer and the need for breast cancer specialist nurses (BCSN). Particularly focussing on the geography of where the author is starting her career in nursing. Methodology: A systematic review was undertaken to establish the current evidence about the effect of BCSN’s services on the welfare and well-being of women living with breast cancer. The paper also reviews the impact of some services that have been established in the North West of England and how these might be transferred within the NHS. Results: The results show that there is a need for more trained BCSNs as they demonstrate a positive impact on the experience and wider support that breast cancer patients require. Conclusion: The conclusion is that more investment should be targeted at this vital service and by establishing the evidence, taking the learning from local schemes and then spreading best practice can only be of benefit to this cohort of patients. The problem lies in the inadequate resourcing for training and job availability for BCSNs, with unclear commissioning arrangements for this service