UKONS appoints new set of YECCN Co-chairs

5 May 2023

Following a call for nominations, UKONS are thrilled to announce that we have appointed three co-chairs, Debora Franchini and Sophie Maycock, to represent the views of young cancer nurses or those who are early in their oncology careers.

Debora Franchini is a Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist at The Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She undertook her undergraduate First-Class degree in Adult Nursing at Universita’ degli Studi di Parma, in Italy. She is currently a student at The University of Southampton and due to complete her Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Health Assessment and Prescribing at the beginning of 2024. The Florence Nightingale Foundation awarded Debora with the Internationally Educated Nurses and Midwife Scholarship and she is due to graduate from the programme in May 2023.After 4 years working in acute settings like Surgical Assessment Unit and Minor Injuries, Debora found her passion in cancer care. Her career within haematology started in 2017 and she has developed and grown within the specialty since then.  Debora currently represents UKONS Young Cancer and Early Career Nurses as a co-chair. She is very passionate about her job and hopes to promote haematology and cancer care as a rewarding and inspiring career for the next generation of nurses.

Sophie Maycock currently works as a Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist in Secondary Gynaecological cancers at The Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Her role involves providing palliative care to patients with complex and recurrent gynaecological cancers to help reduce hospital admissions and improve patient quality of life. She has previously worked in supportive care and as a sister on a medical oncology ward. She qualified in 2017 with an undergraduate degree from University of Manchester. Sophie is currently completing her masters in specialist oncology practice at University of Manchester. Sophie is co-chair of the UKONS Young and Early Career Cancer Nurses MIG. Sophie is passionate about empowering and educating young oncology nurses and is excited about the development and evolution of oncology nursing throughout the UK.

The two new recruits recently met with Constance Rowell, their UKONS board link, and the out-going YECCN representatives, Jane Ewang and Bethany Maynard to formally handover and offer tips of advice. This was a productive and positive meeting.

A young or early career cancer nurse is someone who is working in a setting caring for patients affected by cancer who are either under 35 years old OR someone who has less than 5 years cancer nursing experience. The Young and Early Career Cancer nursing MIG is already established, and these foundations will be built upon, the primary aim being to support and develop young cancer nurses in the UK, but with the group continuing to link to the EONS Young Cancer Nurses (YCN). 

The group is officially recognised as a UKONS Members Interest Group. There was a commitment to develop and monitor the Facebook page and plan for one or two yearly educational events as well as a presence at this year’s UKONS conference at the ICC Wales in November 2023. 

UKONS are very excited to have Debbie and Sophie on board and we wish them all well in their new roles.