Noosa Hospital puts the treat back into treatment
Wed 18 July 2007
Jacqueline Lewis, Journalism
Chemotherapy, which includes the treatment for blood related health issues, and oncology wards are often associated with pain, illness and a depressing atmosphere.
The fear that most people experience when facing chemotherapy for the first time is often justified as the event is generally, at best, unpleasant.
The Noosa Hospital Oncology, however, is a completely different story. You are more likely to find patients crying from laughter rather than pain and the comfortable chairs and brightly decorated room are a complete departure from traditional hospital surroundings. 
But the cosy furniture is not the only thing which makes the Noosa Oncology ward outstanding. As Nurse Unit Manager Jill McEvoy-Williams suggested, the staff of nurses and volunteers deliberately attempted to create a happy atmosphere.
“You only have to look at the research about endorphins and laughter therapy to see the benefits for patients. It means they’re not so anxious, and makes treatment more bearable for them,” she said.
Ms McEvoy-Williams, who has worked in Noosa Hospital for seven years, said that one of the best things about her job is the personal contact with people and getting to know their history.
Leoni Wrigley, a patient at Noosa Oncology for three and a half years, agrees with Ms McEvoy-Williams.
“You become friends and get to know them [the staff]. They become constants, where illness comes and goes,” Ms Wrigley said.
However, she said that the volunteers who work in oncology contribute to the atmosphere as much as any staff member, and that things wouldn’t be the same without them. Providing foot and leg massages, making tea and coffee, as well as simply providing stimulating conversation, the work of the volunteers is crucial to the oncology’s ambience.
Suzanne Hargreaves, who has been volunteering at the hospital for two and a half years commented th
at she liked working in the hospital as she got to meet “special people”.
“[Listening to] the feedback from patients in other hospitals, [they] feel that our work is beneficial, and the patient’s opinion is what is really important,” she said.
Fellow volunteer Kathryn Price agreed: “I’d like to think that I’m helping people, and that we make this a cheerful place to come to”.
It is clear that the staff and volunteers of Noosa Hospital oncology care deeply about their patients’ welfare, and their work makes what could be a traumatic experience almost enjoyable. The question remains: what would happen if the staff and volunteers were replaced with new people?
“I’d like to think the atmosphere wouldn’t change. As long as the volunteer movement keeps going, there should be no problems,” said Ms Hargreaves.
Ms McEvoy-Williams feels the atmosphere could change, but that it “wouldn’t be massive”, and that the new group of people would simply “stamp their own personality on it”.
In a world where treatment for one of the most prevalent diseases is often an experience that most would rather forget, the Noosa Hospital Oncology ward has evidently created a place that is both welcoming and comfortable. There is no doubt that this friendly environment is highly beneficial to patients’ health and well-being.
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