Deirdre Callanan,1,2, Patrick Sheahan 2
1. Department of Nursing, 2. Department of Otolaryngology, South Infirmary Victoria University
Hospital, Cork
Background:
Increasing demand on the Head and Neck services created an opportunity and need for expansion of
the nursing role. Advanced Nurse Practitioner-led service was established to review patients
attending OPD for regular surveillance. Over a short period of time the scope of practice for the ANP
expanded exponentially to include OPD clinics and ENT casualty reviews.
Methods:
Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained ANP database and patient satisfaction questionnaires January 2021 ““ December 2022
Results:
Total 1982 patients attended ANP-led OPD clinics. 1642 physically and 340 virtually 264 New referrals and 1718 return head and neck cancer patients. Of the new patient referrals 87 diagnosed with head and neck cancer. 29 return patients diagnosed with local recurrence or second primary. 128 patients seen in the ENT Casualty with 17 patients requiring admission and 111 managed successfully with medications or outpatient follow up. 80 Patient Satisfaction
Questionnaires show 100% satisfaction with ANP reviews.
Conclusion:
Advanced Nurse Practitioners can have a positive impact on the Head and Neck service