Distress Screening for Prostate Cancer

This course will help you to understand the nature and extent of men’s psychological distress following the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. You will also learn why distress screening is best practice for men with prostate cancer, as well as how to undertake distress screening.

About this course

This is a free, self-paced online course.

Screening for psychological distress is a key component of quality cancer care and skilled healthcare professionals are able to identify and address the distress that many men experience. When screening for psychological distress is part of ‘usual practice’, you can make a significant difference to the quality of life and wellbeing of men with prostate cancer.

Come with us on this moving and memorable journey to gain the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to make a profound difference to men’s experiences of living with prostate cancer.

Course structure

During this course you will meet men like Peter, who shares his experience of living with prostate cancer. Family members and prostate cancer experts will also provide their insights about distress associated with prostate cancer treatment and the critical need for distress screening and referral to evidence-based support.

Topics include:

Psychological distress following prostate cancer – the nature and extent of the problem
Screening for psychological distress following prostate cancer diagnosis
Distress screening – the way forward.

This course is interactive, providing space for you to share your experiences and learn from others. You will learn about the nature and extent of psychological distress, as well as the impact of prostate cancer on partners and families. Resources will illustrate misconceptions about distress screening and possible barriers, as well as when and why screening should occur. Role plays and reflections will help you learn how to effectively use the distress screening tool to provide holistic and supportive healthcare to men with prostate cancer.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this course you will be able to understand:

The impact of prostate cancer on men’s psychological health and wellbeing
The prevalence of men’s psychological distress following diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer
Why distress screening should be standard care for men with prostate cancer
Myths and misconceptions associated with distress screening
Challenges associated with distress screening
How to conduct distress screening for men with prostate cancer in ways that are both effective and empathic
How to use the prostate cancer distress thermometer
The types of multi-modal psychosocial support that are available for men with distress.

Who is this course for?

Health professionals including, but not limited to:

General practitioners
Registered nurses – general and urology, oncology
Prostate cancer specialist nurses
Physiotherapists
Exercise physiologists
Any healthcare professionals working with men diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer.

Meet the Expert

Professor Suzanne Chambers

Dean, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney

Professor Suzanne Chambers AO is a registered nurse and health psychologist who has worked as a practitioner-researcher in psychosocial support for people with cancer for over 25 years. Working closely with prostate cancer support groups since the late 1990s, her current role is Dean, Faculty of Health at UTS.

Suzanne is the immediate past Chair of the Quality of Life and Supportive Care Committee for the Australia and New Zealand Uro-genital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group (ANZUP) and a member of ANZUP’s Scientific Advisory Committee. She has published extensively on the psychosocial effects of prostate cancer and effective ways to enhance quality of life and psychological outcomes after diagnosis and treatment.

In particular, Suzanne has focused her research effort on the interventions to improve outcomes for men with prostate cancer and their families; and currently leads an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Prostate Cancer Survivorship that is globally unique.

In 2019 Suzanne led a team in the development of the Position Statement on Screening for Distress and Psychosocial Care for Men with Prostate Cancer supported by a monograph, A Psychosocial Care Model for Men with Prostate Cancer in 2019 on behalf of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

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Professor Tracy Levett-Jones

Head of the School of Nursing & Midwifery in the Faculty of Health

Tracy Levett-Jones is Professor of Nursing Education and head of the School of Nursing & Midwifery in the Faculty of Health, UTS. Her research interests include empathy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, mindfulness, clinical reasoning, interprofessional education, cultural competence, e-learning, simulation and patient safety.

Tracy is recognised as one of the top three nursing education researchers in Australia. She has over 200 publications including peer-reviewed journal papers, authored books, edited books, and book chapters. She has also designed a number of educational websites including the Virtual Empathy Museum - https://www.virtualempathymuseum.com.au/; the Patient Safety for Nursing Students website - http://patientsafetyfornursingstudents.org/, and the Wiimali Virtual Community - https://www.wiimali.com.au/.

Tracy has a google scholar h-index of 37, a scopus h-index of 29 and over 7000 citations. She has been the recipient of nine research awards and 11 teaching awards and has received over 3.7 million dollars in grant funding, including seven category 1 office for learning and teaching (Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education) grants and industry grants from the Agency for Clinical Innovation and Clinical Excellence Commission.

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Sally Sara

Director, Nursing Programs, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia

Sally Sara is the Director, Nursing Programs for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. She is an experienced prostate cancer nurse and established a prostate cancer specialist nursing service in the Southern Adelaide Health Local Health Network in 2014.

Sally is passionate about improving the quality of life of men diagnosed with prostate cancer and is committed to supporting and educating nurses, especially within the field of uro-oncology.

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Dr Samantha Jakimowicz

Lecturer

Dr Samantha Jakimowicz is an early career researcher with a research interest in compassion and empathy. A lecturer at UTS, she develops postgraduate and specialty online learning resources and coordinates clinical and leadership subjects in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing degrees. She is a registered nurse with clinical and research experience in intensive care.

Samantha’s research interests and expertise lie with compassion, empathy, patient experience and nurse wellbeing. She has published extensively on these topics and is often invited to speak at conferences and workplace forums.

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Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.

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Distress Screening for Prostate Cancer

This course will help you to understand the nature and extent of men’s psychological distress following the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. You will also learn why distress screening is best practice for men with prostate cancer, as well as how to undertake distress screening.

About this course

Course structure

Learning outcomes

Who is this course for?

Meet the Expert

Related Courses

Modern Slavery in the Home

Human Rights and Emerging Technologies: Research and Capacity Building

Human Rights and Emerging Technologies: an Interdisciplinary Approach

Statistical Thinking

Forecasting NBN Broadband Service Demand

Machine Learning in Train Network Operations

Acknowledgement of Country

START DATE	Start anytime
MODE	Online
DURATION	Self paced