Helen Anderson

PhD Candidate, School of Nursing

Helen currently works at the Gold Coast University Hospital as the Genitourinary Cancer Nurse Navigator. She graduated as a Registered Nurse in the UK in 1999. After spending 3 years in cardiothoracic and intensive care nursing she found her passion in oncology nursing. Since emigrating to Australia in 2006 she has had various oncology nursing roles at the Mater Hospital Brisbane which included palliative care and clinical trial research nurse, chemotherapy nurse, clinical facilitator and cancer care coordinator. She completed her post graduate Professional Honours Degree in Oncology in 2013. Acceptance of a specific genitourinary cancer nurse position within the surgical oncology field in 2016 sparked a passion for the support and care of patients diagnosed with genitourinary cancers, particularly bladder cancer. Helen was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from the European Association of Urology Nurses to attend a Bladder Cancer in-depth course in Amsterdam in 2017.

Her passion for patients diagnosed with these specific cancers has led to her joint development of a Genitourinary Cancer Specialist Practice Network through the Cancer Nurse’s Society of Australia (CNSA) for which she is a co-chair. She has been involved in numerous presentations at international and local conferences regarding the care and support of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer. Helen is also very proud to be part of the health advisory team for the charity BEAT bladder cancer.

Helen is currently pursuing her PhD in bladder cancer and is keen to investigate factors that may contribute to symptom experience, quality of life and clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer.