The Nurses

P.A.L.S. employs five full time registered nurses specialising in oncology care who work Monday through Friday from 9 .00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. The nurses visit each patient as often as required and liaise directly with the physicians. The nurses maintain an on-call rota after normal working hours for emergencies at night, weekends and all public holidays.

The nurses are responsible for over 100 cancer patients at any one time. As many as 140 patients have been referred annually in addition to those already in our care. There is no charge for the services of the nurses.

Patients are admitted to the P.A.L.S. Service after receiving a referral from the Oncologist, the patient's GP or the Oncology Department at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

  • Each nurse then evaluates, plans, implements and continually re-assesses the provision of nursing care to their cancer patients in the community setting as well as assessing the physical, emotional and social needs of the patients and their family care givers, making a Care Plan.
  • Each nurse communicates with attending physicians regularly, obtaining medical orders and administering treatments in accordance with the Care Plan.
  • The nurses work closely with the Oncology Department, hospital wards and hospice staff, as well as the Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Dieticians and Social Workers, depending on the specific needs of the patient. They utilise various Community Resources as required by the patient and/or family for example:

Community Resource Aides
Financial Assistance
Meal on Wheels
Child and Adolescent Counselling Services
Social Workers
Day Care Services
Private Duty Nurses etc..

  • The nurse performs and if necessary teaches the patient and caregivers: dressing care, ostomy care, tracheostomy care, the use and maintenance of portocaths or any other I.V. access lines and injections, etc.  The nurse will also draw blood samples if the patient cannot get to the hospital.
  • The nurse supervises Home Health Aides and advises other professional care givers.
  • The nurse manages pain and symptom control and adjusts medications accordingly.
  • If a terminally ill patient or his/her family wishes to remain at home to die, the nurse is trained to assist and prepare both patient and family for this eventuality.
  • P.A.L.S. supplies an array of medical equipment, including electric beds, wheel chairs, walkers, commodes and medical supplies etc. ALL ENTIRELY FREE OF CHARGE .

The cost of providing this level of service to the community is in excess of $1.2 million annually.  The Bermuda Government supports P.A.L.S. by providing an annual grant towards the nurse's salaries.  All other operating expenses are funded entirely by charitable donations and on-going fund raising activities throughout the year by P.A.L.S. itself and its many volunteers.  Other expenses include financial help to uninsured or indigent people for medication as well as travel and accommodation expenses if needing to go abroad for treatment.

In order to provide the most efficient and effective service, the nurses are assigned specific geographical areas around the island. Currently, the following P.A.L.S. nurses cover the areas indicated below.

 
 
 

Donna Viney R.N.

Half of Smith’s Parish, Hamilton Parish, St. George’s and St. David’s.

 

Susan Reeves R.N.

All Devonshire & Half of Smith’s Parish

 

Bernice Zaft-Gibbons R.N.

All Pembroke

 

Julie Harrington R.N.

All Warwick & Paget

 

Kathy Fox R.N.

All Southampton & Sandys

 
     

Every 6 months a nurse travels abroad in rotation for further training in order to keep abreast of the latest advances in the many areas of cancer care.

It is important to understand that P.A.L.S. will care for any cancer patient of any age in any stage of his/her disease and not only the terminally ill. Patients are often discharged from our service because they are doing so well.

 
   
             
Support for P.A.L.S. is Support for Cancer Care in Bermuda.