Miss Sonya Mash

I had worked as a clinical nurse specialist in breast cancer for 12 years before being appointed at the university.

Before that I completed MA in Medical Anthropology and a BA (Hons) in Adult Nursing.

I now work for the Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine, within Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary’s University, but I am employed by Barts and the London NHS Trust.

I work as an Oncology Research Nurse.  I provide care for patients with a variety of different tumour types including Ovarian, Cervix, Pancreatic, Prostate and Colorectal Cancer.

This involves:

• Acting as a patient advocate when doctors are trying to recruit patients into their trials
• Providing emotional support and information to patients during study participation.
• Collecting data on each individual patient.
• Administering trial chemotherapy and monitoring the patients’ reaction and experience.
• Managing my own caseload of patients.
• Managing my work as an autonomous practitioner.

This has enabled me to greatly increase my experience in different tumour types.

Life at the Institute

Working within the centre for experimental cancer medicine enables a nurse to feel part of an extended team, with the support of not only doctors and nurses, but also data managers and experienced trials personnel, who are able to support and guide you through your daily work.

Highlights

Recruiting 4 patients to a study that previous research nurses had not managed to recruit to.

Low Points

When two patients withdrew from 2 separate studies at the last moment, after I had done all the screening, within the same week.

Future Plans

I have recently gained a new post as a clinical nurse specialist in gynaecological cancers.  Where this will lead me I do no know at present.