Background
Michelle Roach is a Radiation Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant in the Cancer Therapy Centre at Liverpool Hospital in NSW. The Radiation Therapy department can treat up to 130 patients a day.
Michelle was appointed as the first Radiation Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant in NSW in 2013. Her mission is to make patients feel empowered, well cared for and supported when they are travelling through the cancer trajectory.
Michelle believes that there is a direct correlation between a patient’s compliance to their treatment demands and the culture and attitude of the patient’s health care team. Having positive, well-educated radiation therapy nurses looking after patients can positively impact on how a patient copes and complies with their treatment regimes.
Michelle’s career highlights include:
- introducing a Model of Care into the Radiotherapy Nursing department which ensures all patients receiving radiotherapy are educated, supported and empowered in all decision-making during and after their course of radiation therapy
- worked with the Cancer Institute of NSW to develop and launch the eviQ RONKAS framework (Radiation Oncology Nursing Knowledge And Skills), which is an online evidence based consensus driven set of nursing resources and competencies for radiotherapy nursing
Michelle has a particular interest in patients receiving radiation therapy for Head and Neck Cancer, she is involved in both the Head and Neck Pre-Treatment Clinic and the Head and Neck Support and Education Group that meets monthly at Liverpool Hospital
Michelle enjoys challenging norms and encouraging nurses to explore what radiation oncology nursing can offer both the nurse and the patient.