Bowel Care Nurses

Specialist telehealth support

With expertise in intensive care, oncology and stomal therapy, Bowel Cancer Australia’s friendly nurses assist patients, family, friends, and concerned members of the community.

Whether your questions relate to bowel symptoms, treatment options, or how to support someone you love affected by the disease, we’re here to help.

Our medically trained nurses serve as a constant, dedicated point of contact throughout a patient’s care.

Offering support during and after treatment, they add an extra layer of support to the trusted relationship patients have with their treating medical team.

Described as a ‘lifeline’ by patients and their loved ones

Bowel Cancer Australia has been providing specialist telehealth services tailored to the unique needs of people impacted by bowel cancer throughout the country since 2011, long before it became common practice.

Despite being the fourth most diagnosed cancer, bowel cancer patients don’t receive the same level of support as other common cancers.

Bowel Cancer Australia’s specialist telehealth service helps address this gap, enabling equity of access to personalised care and tailored support nationwide.

Stoma Nurses

Bowel Cancer Australia’s Stoma Nurses are experienced in caring for people who have had surgical treatment for their bowel cancer and require a temporary or permanent ileostomy or colostomy.

Fear of living with ‘a bag’ is common in bowel cancer patients but can be significantly eased with the right advice and practical support.

Our Stoma Nurses can provide pre- and post-operative support and advice on what to expect if this operation is being considered.

They can also assist with questions regarding stoma care and management, and stoma reversal.

Our Stoma Nurses and Nutritionists work together to offer practical dietary advice for people living with an ileostomy or colostomy.

Specialist in-person support

Bowel cancer is the fourth most diagnosed and second deadliest cancer in Australia, yet people diagnosed with bowel cancer don’t receive the same level of support as those with other common cancers.

Bowel Cancer Australia’s specialist Bowel Care Nurse program is helping to address this gap, by funding in-person Bowel Care Nurses in hospitals and Cancer Centres across Australia.

The 100% community funded program enables people with bowel cancer to receive dedicated in-person clinical, psychosocial and emotional support from a specialist Bowel Care Nurse in the place where they are receiving treatment. Improving equity of access to personalised care and tailored support, and allowing more people to access coordinated care closer to home.

Our specialist Bowel Care Nurses

An in-person specialist Bowel Care Nurse is a registered nurse who has specialist knowledge and experience caring for people with bowel cancer, serving as their main point of contact during and beyond cancer treatment, and supporting and communicating with them and their loved ones.

Making sure patients and their families understand their options and receive the support they need – from that initial point of diagnosis all the way through their treatment pathway.

Specialist Bowel Care Nurses provide a single point of contact for people with bowel cancer, assisting with continuity of care from diagnosis, helping to improve bowel cancer outcomes by identifying and bridging gaps in the patient journey and enabling patients to take a more active role in their bowel care treatment, and assisting with care coordination, while providing advice, education, support, and direct patient care.

With the support of Bowel Cancer Australia’s specialist telehealth support team, each specialist Bowel Care Nurse helps local patients take full advantage of Bowel Cancer Australia’s support network and extensive information resources covering everything from bowel cancer prevention to palliative care, including a free Helpline with telehealth Bowel Care Nurses, Nutritionists and Psychosocial Support Workers, bowel friendly recipes, nurse moderated Facebook Group, monthly podcast and a national Peer-to-Peer Network with Buddy Program.