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Breast care nurse Q&A

Spire have spent the past 30 years dedicated to developing excellent clinical environments and delivering the highest quality patient care. Jackie Skinner is Spire Bristol’s breast care nurse. In Breast Awareness Month, she talks to Bristol 24/7 about her role.

What does your job as a breast care nurse involve?

I have been a breast care nurse at Spire since 2008. My role is to support and advise patients and their families from diagnosis to treatment and follow up care. This can help reduce stress and enhance the process of recovery. I also attend outpatient clinics and a one-stop breast clinic. It’s not just breast cancer I work with, it’s breast pain and concerns; helping ladies know their own breasts and help someone who maybe has concerns because they have a relative or friend that has been diagnosed. 

You also provide continuity of care

I’m there from the beginning; for both my patients and their families. This includes helping with acceptance of diagnosis, side effects, advice and adjustment to body image. I will visit and call, and I can be called – patients have my mobile number – separately to the doctors and consultants. I’ll also be their advocate in multi-disciplinary team meetings. I’m there to provide continuity of care, the constant link between each part of a patient’s journey.

What qualities do you need for your role?

The most important thing is to respect each individual, to formalise a relationship and understand what is important and the needs of each and every patient. You need to have good communication skills; be able to listen and to identify certain concerns, referring to the right person if necessary. It’s important be able to understand each patient’s anxiety and emotions and to give them the confidence that they are being looked after. This is a huge step forwards for a patient, it’s this that allows them to come to terms with their diagnosis. 

What sets Spire apart?

We have a number of opportunities for patients to see a specialist, as well as a number of clinics that people can attend, quickly. There is a breast care nurse right from the start, at consultation, and we try and process investigations as quickly as possible. We are able to perform digital mammograms and biopsies on the same day, and can turn those results around very quickly.

Early detection is key, how can we be breast aware?

Get to know what your breasts look and feel like. Everyone’s breasts are different and a change can be identified very quickly. A discharge from the nipple, or if the nipple becomes inverted or changes position or shape, pulled skin on the breast, a swelling – when you can feel something in breast, are all signs to look out for.

Tell us about your breast awareness evening in October – breast awareness month

We are holding a free breast awareness evening on 23rd October. We are inviting women of all ages who may have concerns about their breasts, including breast pain. We will offer an explanation on what our breasts do for a living. If ladies have any concerns, we will make sure we examine them, maybe do an ultrasound for reassurance that it’s not anything serious. We will talk about breast awareness, other breast symptoms that women may experience and the reasons for it. We will also talk about breast screening and when women will be invited for mammograms.

What does being a breast cancer nurse mean to you?

It’s a job that I really enjoy. I’m able to care for patients, to deliver a complete service at Spire, which is important. I know that a patient will have continuity of care, that we deliver a good service and that I can fulfil my role as a breast cancer nurse. It’s the one to one care that patients find is a great support when their life has been turned upside down. I can be there for them throughout the journey.