Rebecca Blackwood
Parkville,Vic
Summary
Experienced senior nurse with strong clinical knowledge, natural interpersonal strengths, excellent communication and organisational skills. Proven leader, effective in supporting nursing teams toward achieving exceptional patient care and furthering expert knowledge. Focused on continuously advancing patient outcomes.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Clinical Nurse Consultant - Pool
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
11.2022 - Current
- Being a flexible and adaptable member of the team.
- Triaging unwell patients over the phone
- Improving patient care and outcomes.
- Communication with department managers to improve services.
- Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to manage individualised care plans.
- Educating patients and families on treatments and toxicities.
- Member of Sarcoma Project aiming at moving ifosfamide treatments to the outpatient settting
- Participation in Improvement science course and assisting in improving patient experience in the Genitourinary service
- Specialties covered in this role Lung, SURC, Upper GI, Lower GI, Indolent and aggressive lymphoma, Melanoma
Nurse Bank
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
02.2022 - Current
- Co-ordination of Evusheld clinic - Managing bookings and clinical workload, providing an efficient and flexible service to benefit patients
- Clinical Nurse consultant covering Late Effects -Co-ordination of routine surveillance tests, GP follow up, patient support
- Clinical Nurse Consultant covering Myeloma - monitoring patients on the velcade at home program, clinic cover, patient education
- Clinical Nurse Consultant covering Indolent Lymphoma - nurse led clinic for venetoclax ramp up patients, blood monitoring for tumour lysis
- Peter Mac at Home
- Imaging
- Outpatient pathology
Cell Therapies Specialist Nurse
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
01.2021 - 02.2022
- Advanced scheduling of autologous and allogeneic stem cell collections
- Participation in CAR T MDT, Autologous MDT
- Scheduling and prioritisation of patients for extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), chairing monthly ECP meeting
- Attending site initiation for clinical trials/Good Clinical Practice
- Maintaining quality standards and review of standards of practice
- Education and consent of patients for apheresis procedures
- In charge as required, supporting apheresis staff
- Vein assessments/organisation of central access, inclusive of submission of special access scheme forms for apheresis ports
- Performing cellular collections - peripheral bloods stem cell collections (auto/allo), MNC collections for CAR T
- Performing therapeutic apheresis - Therapeutic plasma exchange, Red cell exchange, Extracorporeal photopheresis
- Management of apheresis related reactions
- Reinfusion of Peripheral Blood Stem Cells/Car T cells
- Member of on call apheresis team providing 24 hour apheresis cover to Peter Mac and Royal Melbourne
- Successful submission to New Technologies Committee to trial new ECP machine
Bank Nurse
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
04.2020 - 01.2021
- CAR T Clinical Nurse Consultant - management and care of patients in work up for, and post infusion of, commercial CAR T (Kymriah), inclusive of education and multi department care co ordination
- Attending weekly national CAR T meeting
- Aggressive Lymphoma Nurse Consultant - management and care of patients with high grade lymphomas from diagnosis and throughout treatment trajectory
- Indolent Nurse Consultant - management and care of patients with chronic leukaemias, MPN's, low grade lymphomas.
- Peter Mac at home - community care inclusive of administration of SACT, radiotherapy reaction area dressings, CVAD care, surgical drain management, blood specimen collection
- Radiotherapy Department - Pre treatment education, assessment of patients undergoing radiotherapy, radiotherapy reaction area dressings
Sister (Associate Nurse Unit Manager)
University College London Hospital
10.2007 - 11.2019
- Integral member of leadership team that oversaw delivery of care for all patients on Chemotherapy Day unit. Providing direct care to up to 80 patients per day, allocated nursing assignments, supervising team comprising of nurses, health care assistants and administration staff
- Applied nursing expertise to meet ever changing needs of both haematology and oncology patients in challenging and evolving NHS environment
- Provide rapid assessment and treatment of unwell patients
- Using evidence based practice to design and implement patient pathways with pharmacists, CNS's, Dr's to streamline and optimise patient safety and experience
- Acute oncology phone team - triage unwell patients through cancer centre, provide phone advise for patient concerns, support clinical team with unwell patients (treatment toxicities, sepsis, infusion/transfusion reactions, dehydration, viral screening, wound care), liaise with GP's and community nurses to coordinate patient care
- Part of project team for build and implementation of new EMR system (EPIC), went live in April 2019
- Educate patients, families and caregivers on diagnosis, disease process, treatment and symptom management
- Early exposure to novel agents through clinical trials
- Participation in Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials from site initiation. Lead treatment of patients on Janssen's Andromeda trial for sub cutaneous daratumumab
- Member of apheresis team performing MNC collection, plasma exchanges, leucodepletion, red cell exchange using Spectra Optia apheresis machine . Did additional 24 hour on call for emergency therapeutic apheresis (TTP, Sickle cell crisis)
- Education and preceptorship of new staff and student nurses
- Developed, audited and rolled out pilot program for group session anti cancer treatment education
- Administration of blood and blood products, perform venesections
- Ambulatory care - provision of care for patients undergoing high dose chemotherapy, allografts and autografts in outpatient setting. Use of CADD pumps for chemotherapy administration and hydration support
- Participant in weekly operations meeting for service optimisation with cytoproduction pharmacists, business and administration managers
Clinical Nurse Specialist Myeloma
University College London Hospital
06.2016 - 03.2017
- Supported needs of Myeloma patients as key worker from diagnosis, through treatment and while disease free.
- Active participant in weekly MDT to plan, implement patient treatment
- Educated patients, families and caregivers on diagnosis and prognosis, treatment options, disease process and management and lifestyle options.
- Refer and liaise with advanced supportive care (palliative care) services in hospital and community
- Participation in education activities for external hospitals on myeloma service
- Participation in education programs for drug representatives
- Managed weekly nurse led telephone clinic for MGUS and smouldering myeloma patients.
- Support Consultants and Registrars in outpatient clinic seeing in excess of 80 patients per clinic.
- Improve patient pathways working alongside Chemotherapy Daycare, inpatient Ward Sisters, pharmacists and registrars
- Leave cover for Lymphoma Nurse Specialists
Registered Nurse
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
09.2005 - 05.2006
- Performed Manual stem cell collections, therapeutic plasma exchange and photopheresis as per local Standard of Practice
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
07.2005 - 05.2006
- Worked on Ward 2 Haematology administering chemotherapy, caring for patients undergoing PBSCT and having high dose chemotherapy
- Education of junior staff members
Registered Nurse
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
01.2002 - 01.2003
- Care of patients with haematological malignancies while completing Post Graduate Certificate in Cancer Nursing
- Managed care from admission to discharge.
Registered Nurse
The Austin And Reaptriation Hospital
01.2001 - 12.2001
- Oversaw delivery of care for all patients on haematology oncology medical-surgical unit, providing direct care to patients and consolidating interest in this specialty area
Registered Nurse
Austin And Repatriation Hospital
01.2000 - 01.2001
- Strengthened training and consolodated nursing knowledge by taking part in The Austin hospital Graduate nurse program
- Six months on Neurosurgical ward
- Six months Haematology/Oncology ward
Education
One masters module - Advanced Clinical Assessment Module
Kings College London
London2010
Post Graduate Certificate - Cancer Nursing
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Melbourne, Victoria2002
Bachelor of Health Science - Nursing
Victoria University of Technology
Melbourne, Victoria1999
Skills
- Strong clinical knowledge of haematological malignancies, solid tumours and associated treatment pathways
- Active member of MDT
- Triaging of patients over the phone
- Disease and treatment education of patients and families
- Refer and liaise with advanced supportive care services
- Involvement in improvements projects and implementation of service change
Timeline
Clinical Nurse Consultant - Pool
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
11.2022 - Current
Nurse Bank
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
02.2022 - Current
Cell Therapies Specialist Nurse
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
01.2021 - 02.2022
Bank Nurse
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
04.2020 - 01.2021
Clinical Nurse Specialist Myeloma
University College London Hospital
06.2016 - 03.2017
Sister (Associate Nurse Unit Manager)
University College London Hospital
10.2007 - 11.2019
Registered Nurse
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
09.2005 - 05.2006
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
07.2005 - 05.2006
Registered Nurse
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
01.2002 - 01.2003
Registered Nurse
The Austin And Reaptriation Hospital
01.2001 - 12.2001
Registered Nurse
Austin And Repatriation Hospital
01.2000 - 01.2001
One masters module - Advanced Clinical Assessment Module
Kings College London
Post Graduate Certificate - Cancer Nursing
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Bachelor of Health Science - Nursing
Victoria University of Technology
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