Imagine getting a breast cancer diagnosis – the shock, uncertainty and range of emotions that follow, and the many questions about what happens next.
This is where a breast care nurse (BCN) comes in, guiding patients on their treatment journey and providing emotional support. In Singapore, the woman who first made it possible for patients to get this care is Nagalingam Saraswathi, the country’s first BCN.
In 1992, Saraswathi, or Sister Sara as she’s known to patients and colleagues, was an oncology nurse at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
The hospital’s head of surgery had seen a presentation on breast care nursing during a conference in the United States and put up a proposal to the nursing department for a specialty nurse in breast care.
Saraswathi was sent to England for a 10-week training course – the only nurse from Singapore. There, she learnt counselling techniques, what information to give patients about their surgery, and how to address common myths.
She also learnt how to develop policies, as she would be setting up SGH’s breast care nursing services that year.
“On the flight back, I wrote everything I needed to do in my little diary – which I kept,” she said.