West Herts Breast Care Unit
Breast Care Nurses
Our breast care nurses are specialists in the counselling of breast cancer patients. They discuss clinical issues arising before and after surgical and oncological treatment and they provide support for the patients' psychological and spiritual needs.
They provide additional counselling for breast reconstructions and facilitate with the fitting of breast prostheses and lymphoedema referrals. They are also trained in practical procedures, such as seroma drainage and implant inflations.
Stephanie Cooper, Macmillan Breast Care Nurse
Qualifications: RGN, ENB 998 (Teaching and Assessing), A11 (Breast Care), N59 (Chemotherapy), BSc (Hons) Cancer nursing
Stephanie qualified in 1989 at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, and worked on general medical wards, intensive care unit and the oncology ward. She then specialised in oncology nursing at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London where she completed the breast care course and BSc(Hons) in cancer nursing.
She stayed on the breast ward as acting sister, before moving to the chemotherapy suite at Mount Vernon hospital where she became a Macmillan Breast Care Nurse. She joined the breast team at Watford General Hospital and then at the newly combined unit based at St Albans City Hospital, where she has now taken over as Lead Breast Care Nurse.
Stephanie has Diplomas in Lymphoedema, Loss & Bereavement and Advanced Communication Skills, and is currently undertaking an MSc in advanced clinical practice.
Candice Walls, Macmillan Breast Care Nurse
Qualifications: RGN, ENB 998 (Teaching and Assessing), A11 (Breast Care), BSc Cancer nursing
Candice qualified as a registered general nurse in
1993 at the Lister/QEII Hospitals, Herts. Whilst working on a surgical ward at Lister Hospital, she completed courses on Advanced Life Support and on sudden death and bereavement.
She studied for a diploma in oncology at the Royal Marsden Hospital in 1995, getting a job on the Breast Unit where she became Team leader in the breast clinics. During her time at the Marsden she obtained a BSc in cancer nursing. She also obtained a course in Lymphoedema at the Royal Marsden.
She has worked as a clinical nurse specialist in the breast unit at St Albans since 1998, doing further courses in counselling and in cognitive behavioural therapy in the palliative setting.
Candice has an interest in Breast prosthetics and implant management, metastatic breast cancer and ongoing Support services/groups for patients and their families. She runs a monthly Breast Advisory Group along with Physio and lymphoedema Specialists. This is for Patients in the early weeks following breast surgery and is held in the Breast Clinic area on the first Friday of the month. It is an informative yet sociable group which has had very positive patient feedback
Marian Parfitt, Macmillan Breast Care Nurse
Qualifications: RGN, ENB 100 equiv (ITU), 998 (Teaching and Assessing), A25 (Surgical Nursing) Diploma in Professional Practice, A11 equiv (Breast Care).
Marian qualified in 1989 at St Albans City Hospital. She gained experience in general surgery and intensive care nursing, before moving to Australia in 1990 to work in a general ITU.
Marian returned to England in 1996 and worked on the acute surgical and orthopaedic wards at Hemel Hempstead General Hospital, being promoted through the grades to Ward Manager. She set up and opened a Surgical Admissions Unit for acute patients and also set up and ran an admissions lounge for elective patients.
Marian was first seconded to the breast unit at St Albans in 2004, becoming a full-time Macmillan Breast Care Nurse in 2006. She has recently completed a course in advanced communication skills. Marian's interests are in breast reconstruction, nipple tattooing and fund raising for the breast care unit. Marian with Mr Thomson completed training for nipple areola tattooing a service which she has developed and currently holds monthly clinics.
Sue Coffey, Clinical Nurse Specialist Practitioner
Qualifications: SEN, RGN, BSc (Hons) Oncology Nursing, Non-medical prescriber, ENB 998 (Teaching and assessing), N53 (Pain management), A25 (Surgical nursing), Care of patient with breast cancer ( A 11 Equiv. Royal Marsden Hospital)
Sue qualified at Barnet General Hospital as a state-enrolled nurse in 1981. She has worked at St Albans City Hospital since 1984 and became a registered general nurse in 1997. Sue worked on both acute and elective surgical wards, becoming ward sister in 2001. In 2003 she joined the
peri-operative specialist training programme, St Mary's Hospital, Paddington.
As an Independent Specialist practitioner she works along side the consultants, responsible for her own case load of patients. She is fully-trained in breast examination, assessing and planning care in the rapid diagnostic one stop assessment clinic, family history clinic and follow up clinics.
Sue helps co-ordinate peri-operative management of breast patients in the ward and clinic, and assists the surgeon in theatre. As part of the Breast Unit team, Sue also supports the patient as breast care nurse, counselling of breast cancer patients, discusses clinical issues arising before and after surgical and oncology treatment and provides support for the patients' psychological and spiritual needs.
