I worked in sexual health in the community for five years and now I am a clinical nurse specialist in the gynae-oncology team.
I work in the colposcopy clinic, which is where we take a closer look at the cervix after an abnormal smear test. Using a microscope I can see whether a patient has abnormal cells which could be caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus on the skin. Most people are able to fight off HPV, but sometimes it can cause cervical cancer.
Performing such an intimate experience and talking about deeply personal matters can be a stressful and anxious experience for patients. I try to provide reassurance, explain the procedure and encourage a patient to ask any questions. Some patients worry about things like not shaving their legs, which is completely unnecessary; I genuinely don’t care about that. The cervical smear screening programme is to find people who are at risk of developing cervical cancer.
Under the microscope, I can look at the abnormal cells and see whether they are high or low grade. Sometimes I will take a biopsy if it isn’t clear. There is now a vaccine which protects against four strains of HPV which is given to girls and boys when they are 13 years old. But being compliant with the screening programme and attending a smear test when it is the right time for you, reduces your risk of cervical cancer.
Life circumstances can get in the way, it can be hard to find the time to attend an appointment, or you might not realise how important it is, but the screening programme identifies HPV and makes it very unlikely it would progress to cancer.
Amy
There are 11 clinical nurse specialists in the gynae-oncology team at CUH. Some of us have the procedural role, others have support roles and we have a new genetics role, which aims to promote awareness of Lynch syndrome, which makes you pre-disposed to cancer of the ovaries. We have a brilliant line manager, Sandra, who has introduced doubling up in clinics, so there is always two of us taking alternate appointments. This is better for patients, we run to time and it improves their experience. There is so much knowledge in this team, I am always learning from them. There are training opportunities too, so I feel invested in. Moving from working in the community to the hospital took a while to get used to but I feel really lucky to have this role.