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| Nursing Research at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre |
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| Nursing research at Peter Mac is firmly embedded in a multidisciplinary program of patient care research. The focus of the research program is the supportive care needs of patients and their significant others. The nursing research team collaborates across disciplines to improve the supportive care offered to people with cancer and their families, from diagnosis through treatment and follow up phases. The research work ranges from descriptive, through intervention testing to implementation of research findings into routine practice. In the descriptive research area, nurses are involved in mapping patient problems such as menopausal symptoms, pain, fatigue and other symptoms and also psychosocial reactions to cancer and its treatment. In all of these studies, nurses are at the forefront of intervention development and many of the interventions are testing nursing responses to these problems, particularly in the ambulatory setting. |
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Professor Sanchia Aranda, Director of Cancer Nursing Research
RN, PhD
Sanchia has worked in cancer and palliative care since 1979, predominantly in research and teaching roles since 1989. Sanchia developed the cancer nursing curricula at both La Trobe University (1990) and the University of Melbourne (2000). Her research interests are predominantly in the areas of supportive care, symptom management and practice change. The goal of her research program centres on improving the delivery of health services and outcomes for people with cancer and their families. Sanchia has more than 50 publications in the form of refereed journal articles, book chapters and conference proceedings and has been joint editor on two significant Australian palliative care texts, one in its second edition. Sanchia is co-consulting editor of the International Journal of Palliative Nursing. |
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Mei Krishnasamy
RN, PhD
Mei is a Research Fellow with a particular interest in implementing evidence-based practice in the clinical setting. Mei completed her PhD focusing on cancer-related fatigue and has been involved in a number of studies focusing on the assessment and management of symptoms related to cancer and its treatment. Mei has been involved in a 12 week evidence implementation program offered to nurses and interdisciplinary staff at Peter Mac which aims to encourage the use of evidence to guide the care of patients experiencing complex cancer problems. |
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Donna Milne
RN, B.N. Grad Dip Cancer Nursing/Palliative care; Masters Nursing (Research); PhD Candidate
Donna is currently undertaking PhD studies with the University of Melbourne investigating patient readiness to accept, and health professional willingness to refer to palliative care services. Although enrolled full time, with hopes to finish by mid 2007, Donna remains involved in Peter Mac research and training activities through membership of the Expedited Review Committee, involvement in the Communications Skills Training Program and the highly successful Clinical Research Fellowship Program (CRF). |
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Cathie Pigott
RN, Graduate Diploma in Science (Pain Management)
Masters Primary Health Care (Palliative Care), B.AppSci (Nurs)
Cathie is the project manager for a national cancer nursing education project (EdCaN). This four year project will develop a framework and resources to help the future nursing workforce provide care to people with cancer. Cathie has also been involved the development of the Peter Mac Supportive Needs Screening Tool. The development of this tool is part of a larger project involving an organisational review of supportive care service provision at Peter Mac. The Peter Mac Supportive Needs Screening Tool is part of the implementation of a routine process to identify and meet the supportive care needs of patients attending the hospital. |
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Lisa Sheeran
RN, Grad Dip Cancer/Palliative Care, BCN
Lisa has been involved in the development of a pilot project examining a psycho-educational intervention aimed at alleviating hot flushes and associated menopausal symptoms (insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood problems) in breast cancer survivors. Lisa’s previous work in the department has been on studies of support for women with breast cancer and most recently as the Peter Mac project manager for a multi-site study of symptom clusters in patients with advanced breast, lung, upper GI, colorectal and prostate cancers.
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Alison Hatton
RN; G Dip Cancer and Palliative care
Ali is involved with a project that is considering developing a model for peer support for patients with lung cancer. This project aims to assess the support needs of patients with lung cancer attending Peter Mac and develop an appropriate model(s) for delivering support to this group of patients. Ali is also involved in a project that aims to examine the effectiveness of a multi-disciplinary care (MDC) program incorporating consumer involvement to reduce the complex and often chronic needs of men receiving radiotherapy for prostate cancer using a randomised controlled trial (RCT). |
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Fiona Hewitt
Dip of Business (Accounting), Grad Cert of Business (Executive Administration)
Fiona is an Administrative Assistant to the Department of Nursing and Supportive Care Research. In this role she provides high level secretarial and administrative assistance to the nursing and supportive care research team. Fiona is involved in a variety of different activities including; grant application submission, maintenance of research project databases, human resources management and financial administration, which enable her to use her administrative and organisational skills to their full potential. To further her administration skills she recently completed a Graduate Certificate of Business (Executive Administration). |
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