12 nurses attend training workshop

BEAUFORT -- Oncology nurses at Beaufort Memorial Hospital have received an extra weapon in their cancer-fighting arsenal -- more knowledge.

A dozen nurses from the fifth floor at Beaufort Memorial Hospital sat down Thursday and Friday for an intense two-day training workshop on cancer, conducted by the Duke Oncology Network.

They talked about non-Hodgkins lymphoma, its survival rates and the possible treatment options. The nurses also discussed factors that make cancer patients more likely to get an infection, how to calculate the risk of infection and how to curb infections. The training will enable nurses to more quickly and efficiently treat cancer patients for a wide range of cancer-related health issues.

The mandatory workshop, led by Marty Polovich, associate director for clinical practice at the Duke Oncology Network, is part of the nurses' continuing education, which gives them specialized knowledge of cancer patients, treatments options, possible side effects associated with treatment and challenges that may arise.

In April, the fifth floor of the hospital was designated the inpatient oncology unit, a move to concentrate cancer patients in one area and build a rapport with family and patients, said Connie Duke, Keyserling Cancer Center director of oncology.

Keyserling Cancer Center, a part of Beaufort Memorial, works closely with the fifth-floor nurses to treat cancer patients. Keyserling, in turn, has a partnership with Duke that provides resources such as the training workshop, information and reviews of facilities.

Dot Rucker, the fifth-floor director, explained that nurses often have a cursory knowledge of cancer, which may have come from a lecture during their formal education.

"It's very important for (the nurses) to have the basic understanding of the types of cancer and emergencies that may arise," Rucker said.