Speaker Details

Ms Michelle Roach

Michelle Roach is a Radiation Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant in the Cancer Therapy Centre at Liverpool Hospital in NSW. The Radiation Therapy department can treat up to 130 patients a day.

Michelle was appointed as the first Radiation Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant in NSW. Her mission is to make patients feel empowered, well cared for and supported when they are travelling through the cancer trajectory.

Michelle believes that there is a direct correlation between a patient’s compliance to their treatment demands and the culture and attitude of the patient’s health care team. Having positive, well-educated radiation therapy nurses looking after patients can positively impact on how a patient copes and complies with their treatment regimes.

Michelle’s career highlights include:

• introducing a Model of Care into the Radiotherapy Nursing department which ensures all patients receiving radiotherapy are educated, supported and empowered in all decision-making during and after their course of radiation therapy,
• Designing and implementing a training program in which Radiation Therapists can cannulate and administer IV contrasts for CT/MRI planning, and
• Working with complex patients, especially those with health literacy challenges.

Michelle has a particular interest in patients receiving radiation therapy for Head and Neck Cancer, she is involved in both the Head and Neck Pre-Treatment Clinic and the Head and Neck Support and Education Group that meets monthly at Liverpool Hospital

 Michelle enjoys challenging norms and encouraging nurses to explore what radiation oncology nursing can offer both the nurse and the patient.