A Day in the Life of a Gynaecology Cancer Nurse Specialist

By Aisling Wall

I was born in Galway, but I’ve lived in Clare most of my life. I now work in Limerick as part of the Gynaecology Oncology team. Outside of work, I’m kept busy by my husband and three-year-old son. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and travelling.

From London to Limerick

I trained as a nurse in London and started my career in Charing Cross Hospital in 2018. I worked there until I returned to Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

I wanted to become an Oncology nurse since I was young, and my career so far truly reflects this wish. In London, I worked as a staff nurse in palliative care and later as a senior nurse on a busy chemotherapy day ward. When I came home, I joined University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and worked on the Haematology Oncology Day Unit (HODU). I now work as a Clinical Nurse Manager in Gynaecology Oncology, in a nurse specialist role. I have recently completed a postgraduate diploma in Cancer Care at UCD.

Supporting Women Through Cancer

I’ve been in this role for over two years. It is a huge privilege to support women during one of the most emotional and vulnerable times in their lives. Being trusted to support women on their cancer journey is something I am hugely passionate about, and I am extremely proud to be part of a service that makes a real change to women’s lives.

My Day-to-Day role

I coordinate care for women who are diagnosed with ovarian, endometrial, cervical, vulval and vaginal cancers. This is a varied role that involves supporting women throughout their cancer diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care. I help patients understand what to expect from surgery and treatment, and I work closely with the wider multidisciplinary team to make sure each woman receives the care she needs.

I am the main point of contact for patients having surgery, and I provide emotional and psychological support throughout their journey. I’m there to offer reassurance from diagnosis, through treatment and during their five-year follow-up. I also help patients understand their diagnosis, what it means for them and the different treatment options available. Part of my role includes making referrals to other services, such as Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology, to ensure patients get the full support they need. We work closely with, and under the guidance of, Mr Kevin Hickey, our Gynaecology Oncology Surgical Consultant.

Our team

Our clinical team includes a Surgical Consultant, a Candidate Advanced Nurse Practitioner and a Clinical Nurse Specialist. We’re a small team, but we support each other really well. Together, we manage over 100 new cancer diagnoses each year, along with hundreds of patients who are in follow-up care.

Improving Services and Raising Awareness

Over the past year, I have been working with the National Cancer Control Programme and Gynaecology Oncology colleagues across the country. We recently introduced the Ovarian Cancer Patient Passport, a booklet that helps patients understand their diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care. We hope to roll out similar passports for the other four gynaecological cancers - endometrial, cervical, vulval and vaginal cancers – over the coming year.

In May, we held an awareness stand at UHL for World Ovarian Cancer Day, which was a great success. This September, we’ll mark Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month with an awareness stand. The focus will be on educating both staff and patients about the symptoms, risk factors and importance of prevention and early screening for cervical cancer.