Gynecologic Brachytherapy: Fundamentals of Nursing Care

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Anne Mellon, an Australian gynae-oncology clinical nurse consultant and president of the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia, kicked off a webinar on "Gynaecologic Brachytherapy: Fundamentals of Nursing Care." The session celebrated cancer nurses globally and covered various core topics of brachytherapy in gynae-oncology, focusing on essential nursing care principles.<br /><br />Anne introduced co-chair Chrissy Donovan, an oncology RN from Long Island, New York. Chrissy subsequently introduced the speakers—Kayla Kafka-Peterson, Nursing Supervisor of Radiation Oncology at UCLA, and Dr. Pooja Venkat, Assistant Clinical Professor of Radiation Oncology at UCLA. The duo explored the intricacies of brachytherapy, a distinguished treatment for gynecologic cancers, which has seen limited resources and recent developments tailored for nursing teams.<br /><br />Kayla and Dr. Pooja discussed the preparation, execution, and postoperative care involved in brachytherapy. They elaborated on various types of brachytherapy, including high-dose rate (HDR) and low-dose rate (LDR) treatments, and demonstrated applications using detailed case presentations. The webinar emphasized the importance of care coordination, pre-procedure preparation, patient management during the procedure, and pain management strategies. The session also highlighted the use of multidisciplinary approaches, engaging nurses in deep procedural knowledge, patient care, and team training.<br /><br />Attention was given to scenarios like managing complications such as hematuria, vaginal bleeding, and nausea, as well as addressing patient anxiety and training protocols for nursing staff. The speakers stressed the necessity for formalized team training, highlighting the importance of compassion in patient care and the need for continuous education and professional development.<br /><br />In conclusion, the speakers underlined how effective nursing care strategies in brachytherapy contribute significantly to patient outcomes, advocating for ongoing resource development and nurse training programs to standardize high-quality care across healthcare systems.

Keywords

Anne Mellon

Cancer Nurses Society of Australia

Gynaecologic Brachytherapy

Nursing Care

Chrissy Donovan

Kayla Kafka-Peterson

Dr. Pooja Venkat

Radiation Oncology

High-dose rate (HDR)

Low-dose rate (LDR)

Care Coordination

Patient Management

Nurse Training