March 2022: From the Chair

March 21 2022

Welcome to our 1st newsletter for 2022!

It has been quite a start to the year… the surge of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, rain and flooding for our Queensland colleagues and then our New South Wales colleagues, the situation in Ukraine… it is understandably a worrying time for many of us. If you need support, there is always support available from the ANZ-LCNF team. Please reach out to us at any time. Our thoughts continue to be with those in our community impacted by these events.

On a brighter note, the start of 2022 has brought positivity and great achievements. In January, we celebrated Mary Duffy’s well deserved Australia Day award for which she was acknowledged as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to medicine in the field of lung cancer. Congratulations again, Mary, for this outstanding recognition of your nursing practice. See below for more on Mary’s achievements.

It is a great pleasure to report that the Lung Foundation Australia (LFA) Specialist Lung Cancer Nurse Demonstration Project is underway. A big thank you to the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) for coming on board as the demonstration site. It is exciting to be working with such an enthusiastic and supportive LHD team. Through April and May, the LFA-ISLHD project team will be advertising for expressions of interest for specialist lung cancer nurse positions. If you would like to know more, please contact Kirsten Phillips, General Manager Consumer Programs and Partnerships, Lung Foundation Australia at kirstenp@lungfoundation.com.au.

The election win for South Australian Labor on Saturday 19 March will generate positive outcomes for the South Australian lung cancer community. South Australian Labor committed to investing $2.5 million over four years to recruit specialist lung cancer nurses. Upon their election win, we look forward to this commitment becoming a reality! Lung Foundation Australia is now taking expressions of interest for specialist lung cancer nurses in new sites in Adelaide, South Australia, and also for sites in metropolitan and regional Queensland. If you would like to be advised as these roles become available, please email kirstenp@lungfoundation.com.au.

The development of the new ANZ-LCNF website is progressing well. A very big shout out to Sara McLaughlin-Barrett (ANZ-LCNF Digital Lead) for leading this significant body of work, with the help of Melissa Laan (SA Representative) and Renae Grundy (ANZ-LCNF Deputy Chair and TAS Representative). The website is on track for release in May. You will receive an email with a link encouraging you to visit!

Lastly, our first webinar series for the year is scheduled for Wednesday 27 April and Wednesday 4 May, 6pm – 7pm AEST. The webinar theme is “Thoracic Surgery”. Details and registration is available on our Events Page.

Regards Vanessa
Chair, ANZ-LCNF
vanessa.brunelli@qut.edu.au

Acknowledgment of Country

ANZ-LCNF acknowledges and respects traditional owners and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present, on whose land we work to support the provision of safe and quality thoracic oncology nursing care.

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