Health Professionals

Multidisciplinary Meetings

Multidisciplinary Meetings (Quick Link)

Multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) bring different health professionals from the Grampians region together to discuss the best treatment for each patient who has a diagnosis of cancer. Download a copy of the Victorian Cancer Multidisciplinary Meeting Quality Framework to find out more.

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GICS Grants Program

GICS Service Improvement Grants Program 2020-21

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Contact the GICS Service Improvement Facilitator on 0408 225 331 or kerry.davidson@bhs.org.au  

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Refer to the Victorian Cancer Plan 2020-2024 and the Optimal Care Pathways guidelines for reference.

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Education

A range of face to face and distance learning education options are available to meet the Grampians region workforce need.

Cancer Care for Older People

Older people with cancer are the largest group affected. They are a diverse and growing group. Their appropriate care, during and beyond cancer, is an emerging field in cancer worldwide.

Older people are identified in the Optimal Care Pathways as a 'special needs group' due to the complexity of care. The issue spoke well to the 22nd CNSA conference theme of 'The Complexity of Cancer Care: What will the future of cancer nursing look like?'. The CNSA Victorian State Group also identified care of the older person with cancer as an education priority.

With sponsorship from the Victorian Integrated Cancer Services, a pre-congress symposium was held on June 20, 2019. The symposium report is available here. 

• Watch Peggy's video on "Why study gerontology in cancer care"

• Watch Carolina's video on "Practical ways to improve care of older people with cancer"

• A poster of the Wimmera project in collaboration with the Cancer and Aging

• Research Group 4-year research project to improve care for older people with cancer is available here. 

Other learning opportunities:

• CNSA Symposium resource list 

• Facing cancer later in life is a short video that provides an opportunity to hear from people who have been diagnosed with cancer later in life. They speak about strategies they found useful and help us to understand more about older people's experience of cancer. John, who offered his consumer story last week, is one of the four people featured in the video.

• A Common Path is a series of short videos offering support and advice for those affected by cancer from others who have travelled 'A common path'. The videos have been produced by North Eastern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Services (NEMICS)

Self-Directed Learning

The revised CVAD self-directed learning package is now available for FREE for staff in the Grampians region!

The package provides participants with the opportunity to explore and examine the foundations of knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the management of PICCS, PORTs and Hickman catheters.

This package is relevant to all nurses who care for these devices.

The package includes the following:

• An introduction into CVADs, including key principles of care

• Implanted venous ports - PORTs

• Tunnelled catheters - Hickman's

• Non-tunnelled catheters - PICCs

• Complications and troubleshooting

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You can also find the eviQ Assesment tool templates below;

Assessors Guide

Accessing a CVAD

De Accessing a CVAD

Accessing a IVP

De accessing IVP

Dressing & Cap Change

Blood Sampling from a CVAD

Removing a PICC

Need more cancer education information?

Robyn McIntyre

Clinical Nurse Educator - Oncology

Centre for Education and Training - Ballarat Health Services

P: (03) 5320 4797

E: robynmc@bhs.org.au

Online Education

National Education Framework Cancer Nursing

The National Education Framework Cancer Nursing (EdCan) and a suite of online learning resources were developed as part of the Australian Government's Strengthening Cancer Care initiative.

The resources are directed at nurses; however, they are available for all health care professionals. 

The online resources are free to access and include:

• Case based learning topics such as colorectal cancer, melanoma, head and neck cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, oesophageal cancer, osteosarcoma and lymphoma.

• Treatment or care based topics on multidisciplinary care. supportive care and supportive care screening, cancer survivorship, treatment planning and detailed modules related to treatment modalities, oncology basics for beginners, cancer biology and population health concepts in cancer.

Further information is on the EdCan website .

eviQ Education

The cancer eLearning resources for health professionals, eviQEd, provides medical, nursing, allied health and general ward staff with blended learning courses that standardise and promote evidence based practice when caring for patients with a cancer diagnosis.

The online resources are free, online registration is required for all participants.

Topics include:

• ADAC Reassessment of Clinical Competency

• Antineoplastic Drug Administration Course (ADAC) - Adult haematology / medical oncology

• Antineoplastic Drug Administration for the non-cancer setting

• Central Venous Access Device Education

• Extravasation

• Introduction to Radiation Oncology

• Malnutrition in cancer

• The role that Community Pharmacists play in supporting their customers

• Geriatric Oncology

Face to Face Education

Regional cancer and palliative care education for the Grampians region is provided through:

Grampians Regional Health Collaborative

• 2021 Grampians Cancer CPD Education Program - pending

• Cancer Information and Education Resources

Grampians Regional Palliative Care Team

• Ongoing education available to all health care professionals working in Palliative Care.

Western Victoria Primary Health Network

Education for primary care health professionals

• Continuing Professional Development Education program

• Details and registration for upcoming education events

Ballarat Health Services - Education Programs

• General information on the education program

• The highway model of continuing nurse and midwifery education provides a range of education programs in the Grampians region.

Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing - Oncology

Australian Catholic University (ACU) and Ballarat Health Services have partnered to deliver the post graduate certificate in clinical nursing oncology in the Grampians region.

Two foundation units are delivered online through ACU and two clinical nursing units are delivered at Ballarat Health Services. Clinical placements can be facilitated at the student's employing health facility or at Ballarat Health Services.

Please visit for further information or apply online via the ACU website.

Need more cancer education information?

Robyn McIntyre - Cancer Nurse Educator

Centre for Education and Training - Ballarat Health Services

P: (03) 5320 4797

E: robynmc@bhs.org.au

Cancer Council Victoria Education

Cancer Council education and training offers a Cancer Education Program for facilitators which includes:

• Wellness and life after cancer program

Note facilitators must complete the Living with Cancer Program before registering for this program.

Communication skills program - Contact

Allied Health Cancer Education

Edith Cowan University offers the Exercise for the Management of Cancer Life Now instructor course.

The Australian Catholic University offer a variety of events.

Grampians Cancer Data Access

GICS is able to supply data to health services (including list of UR numbers) for the purposes of informing service delivery and opportunities for improvement, demand and gap analysis, and for research purposes (provided appropriate ethics approval has been granted). 

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This represents an exciting opportunity, and will enable health services to better meet the demands of people affected by cancer in this region.  It will also enable more timely review of service performance in relation to delivery of cancer care. 

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GICS has developed the Grampians Cancer Data Access Policy and Data Analysis Request Form to enable health care professionals working in the Grampians Region to apply for data and analysis reports - refer below:

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• GICS Data Analysis Request Policy 

• GICS Data Request Form (document attached)

• Summary Report: Information Needs of Cancer Health Care Professionals (Grampians Region) (document attached)

• Full Report: Information Need of Cancer Health Care Professionals (Grampians Region) (document attached)

Wimmera Southern Mallee Cancer Resource Nurse

Cancer Resource Nurses (CRNs) are local health professionals who are trained to offer supportive care to people affected by cancer in their own area. They can refer people with cancer to the right services as close to home as possible and offer support and information. CRNs are now located in most Wimmera Southern Mallee health services.

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People travel around the Grampians region and beyond for cancer treatment.  Brochures and a ready-reference map make finding a local Cancer Resource Nurse easier than ever and have been distributed to cancer services throughout the region, to help cancer service staff refer patients from the Wimmera Southern Mallee area back to their local Cancer Resource Nurse.

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The introduction of telehealth via Health Direct, a web-based portal, can link CRNs and their patients to Carmel O'Kane, Oncology Nurse Practitioner and/or their Medical Oncologist in the comfort of their own home. This new service aims to reduce the travel burden of regional cancer patients during their ongoing cancer treatment and care.

Wimmera Cancer Care Closer to Home

The Wimmera Southern Mallee Health Alliance (WSMHA) has been successful in receiving funding from the Victorian Telehealth Specialists Clinics Funding for the 'Wimmera Cancer Telehealthcare' project. 

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Wimmera Health Care Group, Edenhope & District Memorial Hospital, Rural Northwest Health and West Wimmera Health Service will build on the success of the 2016 and 2017 Oncology Specialists Clinics enabling patients outside of Horsham, the choice to have their oncology consultation at their local health service if appropriate. 

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The work will also extend to Melbourne working with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (PMCC) to develop telehealth-enabled models of care for patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment.  This will enable both scheduled pre-chemo review appointments, and unplanned consultations to quickly address significant treatment side effects.

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The WHCG Cancer Nurse Practitioner and WSMHA Project Officer will work closely with key staff across the Wimmera and at the PMCC during the project, bringing cancer care closer to home.  The aim is to be able to scale the approach to other regions and cancer specialties across Victoria.

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The Victorian Integrated Cancer Services acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.

We are committed to safe and inclusive work places, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ communities and their families.