Treasure Chest Charity Funds New Clinical Nurse Role at The Royal Melbourne Hospital

Thanks to our donors, Treasure Chest Charity is funding a new part-time Clinical Nurse position at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Sarah Williams has commenced in the role, and within the first three months a number of important outcomes have already been achieved.

Increasing access to breast cancer appointments

The position has contributed to an increased number of outpatient appointments available for breast cancer and risk-reduction patients. At the same time, appointment wait times and non-attendance rates (DNAs) have reduced, allowing patients to access care sooner.

Specialised lymphoedema support and early intervention

Sarah has qualified as a lymphoedema practitioner specialising in breast cancer-related lymphoedema. She now provides diagnosis, treatment and early intervention strategies for patients at risk.

She also administers risk screening for lymphoedema for all breast reconstruction patients during initial meetings, with ongoing follow-up and referrals aimed at preventing long-term complications.

Supporting patients and volunteers

Sarah has collaborated with the Breast Care Nurse (BCN) team at the Royal Women’s Hospital to expand and maintain a comprehensive volunteer list for Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) nights.

She has also facilitated peer support for women following surgery, including support for those unable to attend BRA sessions.

Improving clinical communication

Working alongside the Epic team, Sarah has helped create new and improved centralised documentation templates for breast cancer patients, ensuring important information is accessible to all clinicians involved in patient care.

Treasure Chest Charity thanks Sarah for her work and acknowledges all donors who have supported the funding of this position.