BCN 1
“When we started our role, we had no model to base
our work on. We also came from other professional
backgrounds, and the issue of breast health was not
necessarily familiar to us. Thus, communication between
us was mainly on sharing information. For example, we
developed some written information and shared with
one another. We continue this learning among ourselves
and other health professionals. We participated in many
study days of the Israeli Society for Breast Health, and we
continue to learn and share this information with others. We
also participated in a few research projects, and we are now
models for other nursing groups. We also serve as educators
for nursing schools and for other nurses internationally.
Through the years, we had dealt with hardships, and we
became not only more of a learning organization but also
an organization that teaches and encourages others.”
BCN 2
“As a learning organization, we continue to educate
ourselves with new areas and studies. We learned about
new technologies by attending local and international
conferences and workshops. We learned from visiting
other BCNs in other institutions. We also learned from
the network we have built between ourselves. This
network provides an informal forum for consultation and
support for one another. We also conduct research. Thus,
a learning organization facilitates continuity of learning
and education.”
BCN 3
“A learning organization involves sharing of professional
problems and ways of dealing with them. We use simulation
to learn and establish solutions. We have a few models on
the same role which we share with one another. We learn
through lectures on various topics.”
BCN 4
“I started my role as a BCN in 1997 after learning and
training for this job. As part of the establishing group, we
formed the role in the country. As part of this group, we
deal with a large target population from young to elderly
women. Women diagnosed with breast cancer undergo a
long process from diagnosis to rehabilitation and involves
the whole multidisciplinary caring team. As nurses, we
are part of this team, and such role requires us to learn
from the media and professional medical knowledge that
is constantly updated.”
Based on the above response, this group of Israeli BCNs
certainly invests much thought and motivations for updating
their knowledge and continually learning about different
methods and functions of a learning organization. A
working group of European oncology nurses has already
developed trainings for BCNs through the EONS.[9]
However, in Israel, we still require a formal curriculum
specific for BCNs. A working group of BCNs has already
initiated this important process to achieve a formal
recognition as clinical nurse specialists.