Following a highly successful and informative visit to UPMC Whitfield Cancer Centre and Whitfield Clinic during the summer, a second delegation of 25 nurses from China recently visited the state-of-the-art healthcare facilities in Waterford.
The delegation of specialist nurse managers was given a tour of the advanced radiation therapy centre, and Karen Fagan, UPMC clinical nurse manager, gave the group an overview of UPMC’s approach to patient care.
“We pride ourselves on the multi-disciplinary approach we offer our patients from the minute they walk through our doors,” said Fagan. “Everybody’s cancer journey is very different and very personal to them, but we believe that education and communication are key to taking the fear out of what lies ahead.
“More often than not, our patients deal with the same staff, and they build a rapport with them. It’s important that during a particularly trying time in their lives, our patients feel comforted and have an advocate in UPMC as they receive the best, evidence-based treatments.”
This is the second visit of the nurse managers to Ireland this year, as part of a collaborative education programme devised by the Abraham Trust. The trust facilitates the exposure of nurses to specialised medicine at different centres of excellence.
Deirdre Chapman, nurse allocation officer, Department of Nursing and Health Care at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), spoke of the strong links and excellent relationship that exist between WIT, UPMC Whitfield Cancer Centre and Whitfield Clinic. “WIT works closely and regularly with UPMC and Whitfield Clinic, as they provide clinical placements for undergraduate nursing students and applied healthcare students. The hands-on experience afforded to students of nursing is invaluable as they gain an invaluable insight into the operations and processes at a centre of healthcare excellence.”
UPMC Whitfield Cancer Centre, part of world-renowned medical centre UPMC, has been offering the most advanced radiation therapy to public and private patients from the southeast region for over 10 years. As part of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, with more than 50 locations in the U.S., Ireland and Italy, UPMC Whitfield leverages innovation and expertise from around the globe to deliver world-class care to patients close to their homes.
For further information, call UPMC Whitfield Cancer Centre on 051 337444 or visit www.upmcwhitfieldcancercentre.ie