Abstract
Carole Palmer has been the lung cancer clinical nurse specialist at Furness General Hospital for four years. The role of the specialist nurse is to provide emotional support, information and practical advice for lung cancer and mesothelioma sufferers and their families. She becomes involved in their care in the pre-diagnostic phase, through treatment, to a time when the patient develops complex palliative care needs. The specialist nurse provides a holistic nursing assessment and acts as patient advocate, ensuring the patient’s needs and wishes are understood by the multidisciplinary team; and also acts as liaison between the different members of the hospital and primary care multidisciplinary teams, helping to ensure that the patient’s care is as seamless as possible.
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