Page 15 - Aesthetics&Dermatology_11_2018
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PRESS RELEASE
it comes to breast education and
clinical breast examinations, and
also in helping women going
through treatment for breast cancer.
A patient simply cannot do it alone.”
Mammography is a privilege Nurses key to breast care
in a country like ours, which
is why it is so necessary to Also sharing her expertise at
train nurses to perform clinical the event was Professor Carol-
Ann Benn. A globally renowned
breast examinations specialist breast surgeon, head
of the Helen Joseph and Netcare
Breast Care Centre, and founder of
the BHF, she is an outspoken and
committed breast health advocate.
“Breast health is simple,” she said.
“Mammography is a privilege
in a country like ours, which is
are allocated accordingly. On why it is so necessary to train
14 completion of the full module, the nurses to perform clinical breast
user receives a Breast Advocate examinations, and to understand
about breast health and disease Certificate. more about general breast health
detection. Not only does early and breast care.”
treatment save lives, but it also The training platform is easily
costs less than managing late- accessible any time, and from any She also stressed that breast care
stage cancers, which is a key Internet-enabled device, including nurses improve the continuity
consideration in a developing tablets and mobile phones. Users of care for women, and provide
country like ours.” can track their progress and score important information, support and
CPD points. referral for a wide range of needs
The passionate team behind www. experienced by women.
training.mybreast.org.za are excited “Additional modules will be
about the impact that the training introduced over time,” says Turner. One of the major challenges is
could have. In many places in South “The goal is to have live theatre that the hostility of the hospital
Africa, the first contact with a health feeds within a couple of years and environment which keeps
professional for women with breast to give users practical insights into patients away, Professor Benn
complaints is a nurse in a primary breast surgery. Any nurse or HCP added. “We need our nurses to
clinic. is able to learn and benefit from this navigate the journey for breast
training. We have around 400 000 cancer patients. By empowering
Developed in consultation registered nurses in the country, yet them, we can enable nurses
with accreditation bodies, less than 1% work in breast care. to properly communicate with
pharmaceutical companies, and We need to bring more of them patients throughout the treatment
local government, nurses who on board in order to ensure early process and through the post-care
sign up gain access to the latest detection, followed by diagnosis, compliance journey. Whether they
information. The team has also and treatment.” have six months to live or ten years,
worked with industry professionals every patient has a right to dignity
and key opinion leaders to obtain Turner adds that CPD accredited and nurses are the starting point
interesting, relevant, compliant, training benefits the nursing when it comes to ensuring that.”
fresh and ground-breaking content. profession, resulting in increased
work satisfaction, greater job Tackling breast care as a collective
The material is available on retention, and lower stress in the gives healthcare provides greater
video, presentation or document nursing profession, ultimately power to help patients, Benn added,
format. The first module provides benefiting the patients. which is why every nurse in the
a thorough introduction to basic country has the ability to help make
breast health. As users proceed, the South African actress and breast an important difference.
information becomes more in-depth care activist, Lillian Dube said
and advanced. A CPD certificate breast cancer need not be a death
is issued for all accredited sentence if detected early. “Nurses
content passed, and CPD points have a central role to play when
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