‘We make sure that every patient feels understood and cared for’

Sylvie Lambin is an oncology nurse coordinator at the Institut Roi Albert II, the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc center specializing in cancer and haematology. She has been caring for lung cancer patients at the Brussels hospital for 14 years. To mark the European Week Against Cancer, we spoke to her about her work at the hospital.

What is the difference between an oncology coordinator, an oncology nurse and a specialist oncology nurse?

Sylvie: “They are all nursing professionals. Oncology nurses and specialist oncology nurses are at the bedside of cancer patients and provide nursing care. As coordinators, we no longer provide direct nursing care. We are the patient’s point of contact, coordinating the patient’s entire care pathway, providing the necessary psycho-social support, improving the quality of care, and so on.”

“The exact term for coordinator can vary. At Saint-Luc, we use the term oncology care coordinator, while at Bordet they use the term coordination nurse in oncological care (ICSO). Elsewhere, they may use other terms.”

As a coordinator, you no longer provide direct nursing care. Did you provide nursing care before?

“Absolutely, and that hands-on experience is crucial. You cannot go straight into a coordinating role after studying nursing. To become an oncology coordinator, you need to have worked for at least three to five years as a nurse on an oncology ward.”

‘An oncology care coordinator should have at least 3 to 5 years of hands-on experience as a nurse on an oncology ward.’

“Many coordinators have taken additional training in public health (management and health policy). It is not compulsory, but it helps a lot. Personally, I also obtained a master’s degree in those subjects at the time.”

What does a typical week look like for you as a coordinator?

“The core of my job is to be available for patients and for the multidisciplinary care team.”

“I provide support to patients and their families throughout their care journey. I meet them at the initial consultation, and then I take the time to assess their needs, answer their questions and highlight any psychosocial problems they may have, so that I can refer them to other healthcare professionals, such as tobacco addiction experts, dieticians, psychologists, etc.”

“I meet with patients in day clinics, during their hospital stay or as outpatients, for example when they got some bad news from the physician about a relapse.”

“I also liaise with other partners in the hospital to facilitate the patient’s journey: scheduling examinations, notifying an ER doctor of the arrival of one of my patients, exchanging information with the allied health teams and/or doctors on the ward.”

“But this liaison role is not limited to the hospital. Patients can contact me by phone or e-mail if they have questions about their treatment or how to manage side effects. We have a great deal of expertise and autonomy in monitoring the side effects of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies.”

‘I act as a link between the patient and their family and friends, the Saint-Luc care team and the carers involved outside the hospital.’

“In summary, I act as the link between the patient and their family and friends, the Saint-Luc care team and the carers involved outside the hospital, such as the GP, the medical and allied health team at a nursing home or the home nurse.”

What are some of your other duties?

“One of my main tasks is to prepare for and attend the weekly multidisciplinary thoracic oncology meeting, and then to organize the care pathway and the various appointments.”

“This meeting with all the thoracic oncology experts is essential to discuss the treatment plans for each new patient, or when a patient has progressive disease or a relapse and an alternative treatment has to be proposed. Every week, we discuss between 15 and 25 patients in our ward.”

“I have regular meetings with coordinators from other wards, and I can contribute my expertise at conferences and training meetings, for example on managing the side-effects of immunotherapy.”

“It’s safe to say my days are never the same.”

What do you think is the greatest added value of your work for patients?

“As coordinators, we are an invaluable source of support for patients on our ward, at every stage of their care pathway. Patients come into contact with many different stakeholders, so it is reassuring for them to have a regular point of contact.”

“By offering each patient personalized support based on their stress levels, needs and expectations, I make sure they feel understood and cared for.”

At the All.Can Belgium lung cancer working group meeting in April 2024, you said that advances in personalized treatments represent a challenge for many oncology coordinators. What did you mean by this?

“As a coordinator, you need to keep up to date with new advances in treatment and care, so that you can always provide the necessary explanations to your patients. This means that you have to be constantly training yourself, in addition to carrying out your day-to-day work.”

‘Staying updated on all the treatment options poses a challenge for a coordinator.’

“Take developments in immunotherapy. Today, immunotherapy can be administered before and together with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, before and/or after surgery, etc. This is very good for the patient, but staying informed about all the therapeutic possibilities is a challenge.”

“For coordinators in the smallest hospitals, it is often even more difficult because they are sometimes responsible for monitoring patients with different types of cancer. This means they have to keep up to date with the latest therapeutic advances for all these cancers.”