Cancer Center Amsterdam

Since 2018, Gea Westerhof has been managing the Care Unit Medical Oncology at Amsterdam UMC. Shortly after starting this position, she learned of the ‘Für Elise Funds’, a legacy left by a former patient that was earmarked for oncology nurses.

The funds had been sitting untouched for some time. “Let’s do something to support nurses and nurse practitioners in oncology with this fund,” was Gea’s immediate thought. Her proposal to initiate a national symposium focused on the leadership role of nurses and nurse practitioners in oncology care was quickly approved by the fund’s custodians.

Lead with Courage

A committee was established to organize the first national symposium for nurses in cancer care in September 2019 under the banner of ‘Lead with Courage’. The theme acknowledges nurses and nurse practitioners’ role as the first in-line care providers for patients and their families.

“These care professionals are often the primary contact for patients, fielding questions, inquiries, and worries, also from friends and family. We wanted to emphasize the importance of their leadership role,” says Gea, noting the tailored care and treatment of patients with different tumor types is often very complex and may require the involvement of care providers from several disciplines.

Strong Together

“The first symposium was an immediate success. We had 140 participants from across the Netherlands,” says Gea. “The response was incredible. During the pandemic, in March 2021, we held the second symposium, and the third event just took place in September 2022 with the subtheme ‘Strong Together’.”

The symposium has been accredited by the Association for Care Professionals in the Netherlands (V&VN) and recognized experts are invited to address current topics in oncology treatments and care organization. The aim is to inspire and support nurses and nurse practitioners from a wide range of medical disciplines and organizations, ranging from home, hospital, or hospice care.

“The most amazing thing about these meetings is the energy-boost that participants take home,” Gea continues. “We are all faced with shorthanded care organizations and high workloads, and, yes, we feel despondent at times. But at the meetings, we share our experiences, put our heads together, and define the challenges to try to find a way forward – finding strength and solutions together. That experience is very powerful, and it resonates when these care providers go back to work the next day.”

Gea is already looking forward to kickstart the organization of the next meeting that is scheduled to take place in approximately 18 months. But first, she is going to visit the fund’s custodians – the family of the former patient - to tell them all about the vibrant meetings their sister facilitated.

Interested in the ‘Lead with Courage’ symposium? For more information contact Gea Westerhof.

Organizing committee at the department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC

Gea Westerhof

Mariëtte Weterman

Rosy el Aissati

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Text by Henri van de Vrugt.

This article was created for Cancer Center Amsterdam.

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