"Close the Care Gap" - this is the motto of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and German Cancer Aid on February 4 for World Cancer Day 2023. As the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) of Hannover Medical School (MHH), we are participating in the campaign as the location of the CCC Lower Saxony. At the MHH, we are placing a special focus on Oncology Nursing this year.

Whether in the city or in the countryside, sufficient and appropriately qualified nursing staff is crucial for good care of cancer patients. "Nursing oncology patients has become increasingly complex in recent years, as the medical options for treatment and therapy have also grown steadily," says Vera Lux, Director of Nursing at the MHH. "It is important that, in addition to medicine, Nursing also continues to develop and acquire new knowledge about side effects, therapy options, but also about ways to support these patients." For this reason, the Oncology Nursing Day will take place for the third time on February 4, 2023 at the MHH as one of the largest nursing training courses in northern Germany.

According to Lux, it is also important to attract more people to this profession. This is because the shortage of nursing staff in Germany is also a problem in oncology.

Why choose oncology Nursing?

In this interview, Susanne Blöß from the Oncology Nursing Consultation Service (OPK) tells us about her experiences in oncology nursing and what she appreciates most about this profession. She has been working at the MHH since 1990 and has held various positions since then.