Integration of the nursing care assistant profile in I-125 seed procedures for breast cancer: Clinical and professional impact.

INTRODUCTION

In response to the increasing demand for radioguided procedures, the integration of the Nursing Care Assistants (NCA) profile was proposed as support professionals in the preoperative marking of breast cancer (BC) patients using I-125 seeds.

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the clinical impact and professional development resulting from the integration of NCA into these procedures, assessing the operational efficiency of the Radioguided Surgery Team (RGST) and the training process that enabled them to assume new competencies.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A four-phase theoretical-practical training program was implemented (theoretical instruction, practical mentoring, clinical simulation, and supervised autonomous practice), aimed at training NCA to assist in the localization and marking of non-palpable lesions and metastatic axillary lymph nodes using I-125 seeds. After completing the training, their impact was evaluated through a comparative analysis of RGST activity in 2023 and 2024.

RESULTS

During the study period, NCA autonomously performed 116 marking procedures with I-125 seeds without incidents, accounting for 11.8% of total procedures in 2023 (32/270) and 23% in 2024 (84/366). Operational support was required on 21 working days in 2023 (8.5%) and 49 days in 2024 (19.6%), indicating a significant increase in their involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

The incorporation of the NCA profile into radioguided marking procedures has proven to be an effective strategy for optimizing healthcare resources, enhancing the operational efficiency of the RGST, and promoting the professional development of this role within highly specialized clinical settings.