title: A breast unit care pathway: enhancing the role of the nurse.
abstract: The second of two papers on the development of patient care pathways focuses on the experience of one hospital's breast unit. Nurses have taken over tasks previously carried out by clinicians, particularly in pre-assessment, preparing for discharge and follow-up, family history clinics and seroma aspiration. There are key lessons for other units and conditions.
authors.affiliation: Salisbury District Hospital.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bryan
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Postlethwaite
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carty
mesh_terms: D000359:Aftercare; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000601:surgery; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors