Linda K. Clarke, MS, RN, CORLN
Oral Cancer Awareness Nurse's Top Priority

For Linda K. Clarke, MS, RN, CORLN, being a head and neck rehabilitation nurse is more than treating patients. It's creating public awareness of oral, head and neck cancer. Her role at the Milton J. Dance Jr. Head and Neck Rehabilitation Center allows her not only to treat patients, but also to educate the public. When Ms. Clarke joined the Dance Center in 1980, her primary focus was, and continues to be, patient treatment and education. "My specialty includes pre and post operative patient education, tracheotomy management and daily rounds to assess patient progress and determine learning needs."

Ms. Clarke's patients include those with cancer of the oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses and salivary glands. "Pre-operative education allows us the opportunity to explain to the patient more fully what their experience will be following surgery. We discuss the actual surgery and anticipated changes after the surgery. Our goal is rehabilitation and to alleviate anxiety they may have."

The pre-operative education also includes meeting with the social worker and speech pathologist on staff. Meeting with the entire team allows the patient to establish a rapport with the clinicians who will follow them throughout their entire rehabilitation experience.

Post-operative education is as critical as pre-operative education. "We hone in on the physical changes that occur with surgery," Ms. Clarke notes. "The team deals with the specifics including difficulties with swallowing, body appearance and tracheotomy care, if needed. It is only after the surgery that we can address the patient's specific needs."

In order to care fully for the patient, Ms. Clarke and the Dance Center's social worker have organized a support group for patients with oral, head and neck cancers. The group, "Patient and Family Support Group," allows the patients to discuss living with their illness including symptom management, the emotional side of a cancer diagnosis and caregiver issues. "The patients in the group help one another and serve as an inspiration for newcomers," Ms. Clarke notes.

It has been within the past several years that Ms. Clarke developed an interest in community education. She observed the lack of public knowledge of oral, head and neck cancers and believed that if there was more awareness of prevention techniques, there may be a decrease in new incidents. Ms. Clarke, in tandem with Dr. John R. Saunders, Jr., began hosting free oral screenings at corporate health fairs and at the Dance Center throughout the year.

Ms. Clarke's work with the screenings propelled her to the forefront of oral cancer awareness in the state of Maryland. Her work allowed her to be recommended as a member of the Oral Cancer Awareness Week Planning Committee in 2001. This committee was organized through the Office of Oral Health and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

While planning events to kick off the two-year initiative for public awareness, Ms. Clarke decided to create a poster to discuss oral cancer and to create awareness of the role of the otorhinolaryngology (ORL) nurse. "I wanted to do something on a national level to draw the attention of specialty nurses to their role as facilitators of oral cancer awareness and screening, " says Ms. Clarke.

Ms. Clarke's poster, "Increasing Awareness of Oral Cancer through Oral Screening: The Role of the ORL Nurse," was recognized this fall by the Society of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Nurses (SOHN) during its annual meeting and received second place. This national recognition will hopefully allow Ms. Clarke to achieve her goal of creating awareness of oral cancer and its prevention. In addition to her nursing duties in the Dance Center, Ms. Clarke is editor of the SOHN journal ORL Head and Neck Nursing.

For further information about oral cancer screening, please call the Dance Center
at 443-849-2087.

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