Nurse Liaison – A decade focusing on the needs of the patient

– Skåne Region achieves the national target, that more than 80 percent of patients in the Standardized Care Course (SVF) should have access to a liaison nurse, says Anna-Karin Falk Magnusson, Regional Cancer Coordinator in Skåne Region.

In the National Cancer Strategy from 2009, it was proposed that all patients in cancer care should be appointed a consistent care contact to meet the need for security and continuity. This gave rise to today’s liaison nurse, a professional role that means being there for the patient – ​​from the moment a diagnosis is made to acting as a support throughout the entire care process. Today, approximately 1,500 people across the country have the title of Professional Liaison Nurse.

Patients extended their arm

– Here you really get to know the patients. The focus is not just on the medical side – sometimes people ask things like “How did things go with that thing you had to fix in the summer house?” Or “Have you gotten back to the training you missed?” says Kaysa Nelson, liaison nurse at Skane University Hospital.

These relationships often last for several years. Kaisa Nilsson and her colleague Jana Arvald, who work at the urology clinic in Malmö, share the image of being the outstretched arm of patients and an important intermediary link as liaison nurses.

– For many, the announcement of cancer means a huge shock. It can be difficult to comprehend the information that follows the word “cancer” when a diagnosis is given. Even in cases that are benign, the chance of treatment success is high. “We want to make sure the patient is there and when questions come, we are just a phone call away,” says Yiana Arvald.

There is no question too big

Kajsa Nelson is a liaison nurse for people diagnosed with testicular cancer. A form of cancer that has a good prognosis but it may be appropriate to use reproductive preservation measures such as sperm freezing.

– It is a patient group, as many of them are young and do not have enough time to think about whether they want children in the future. The questions can be big and existential. Then it becomes easier that we have been involved from the beginning and that the patient has time to get to know us. Even when a person does not ask questions, I believe that knowing our presence means feeling safe, says Kaysa Nelson.

Call the nurse – your support in cancer care (1177.se)