Summary
Central Queensland Health is thrilled to welcome Oncology Nurse Practitioner Cassandra Heenan, who brings expert knowledge and years of experience to a new role working with the Cancer Care Services team at Gladstone Hospital.
Cassandra chose a perfect time to move from chilly Victoria to Central Queensland, where her special skills will contribute to enhanced care for cancer patients in the Gladstone region.
Having worked at Latrobe Regional Health in the Gippsland area for 24 years, Cassandra has a thorough understanding of the challenges people face in regional areas and a passion for developing innovative models of care to improve outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients.
“I’ve always been very interested in research and education, which is a good fit for oncology in that it is rapidly evolving and constantly striving for advancements in care and treatment options.
“I also find my role very rewarding, being able to make a tangible difference to someone’s day by helping to manage their cancer symptoms or manage the side effects of their cancer treatments.”
Latrobe’s Gippsland Cancer Care Centre has a 22-chair and four-bed chemotherapy day unit, where Cassandra worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Educator for Oncology for many years before completing her three-year Nurse Practitioner Candidacy, receiving both Medical Oncology and Haematology mentorship.
She has worked at the top of her scope as an accredited Oncology Nurse Practitioner for the past five years, following completion of a Master’s in Nurse Practitioner, as well as a Master’s in Education and Graduate Certificates in Renal and Breast Cancer.
Cassandra is proud to have played a significant role in improving care for lung cancer patients, and the oversight of a nurse led Same-day Symptom and Urgent Review Service Clinic using a phone triage model to expedite the assessment and management of cancer patients requiring urgent care on the same day. She has participated in clinical trials and has supported the collection of data for the Victorian Lung Cancer Registry.
She has also worked closely with medical oncologists from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) in Melbourne to improve access to treatments for regional patients with neuroendocrine cancer (NEC), reviewing and managing patients locally in a shared care model.
Cassandra said she was looking forward to making a valuable contribution to the Cancer Care Services team in Gladstone, working with medical oncologists and haematologists, providing in-person expertise for patients during telehealth reviews and using her extensive clinical skills to provide evidence-based, best practice care to local patients.
“I already feel this is an amazing place to work – everyone has been welcoming and supportive. I am hoping to expand my practices to meet the needs of our local community, as well as offer more opportunities for in-service education and training within the team.”