Recognising The Critical Role Nurses Have to Play in the Early Detection of Blood Cancer

This International Nurses Day, DKMS celebrates these unsung hospital heroes and recognises how their proximity and presence to patients means they are uniquely positioned to notice subtle changes that others... The post Recognising The Critical Role Nurses Have to Play in the Early Detection of Blood Cancer appeared first on Good Things Guy.

May 13, 2026 - 15:11

Recognising The Critical Role Nurses Have to Play in the Early Detection of Blood Cancer

This International Nurses Day, DKMS celebrates these unsung hospital heroes and recognises how their proximity and presence to patients means they are uniquely positioned to notice subtle changes that others might miss.

South Africa (13 May 2026) – South Africa’s healthcare system is under profound strain. Yet still, our nurses continue to show up day after day, one tiresome shift after another.

International Nurses Day, celebrated annually on 12 May, is an opportunity to reflect on what nurses contribute beyond the clinical. They are often the first healthcare professionals a patient encounters, and their continuous, close presence means they are uniquely positioned to notice subtle changes that others might miss.

It is precisely this proximity that makes them so critical in the early detection of blood cancer.

“In a country where blood cancer is diagnosed every single hour, their powers of observation can mean the difference between early intervention and a life-threatening delay,” says Palesa Mokomele, Head of Community Engagement and Communication at DKMS Africa.

The Problem with Blood Cancer: Symptoms That Hide in Plain Sight

Blood cancer is not like many other diseases. It rarely announces itself dramatically. Instead, it whispers through fatigue that never seems to lift, bruises that appear from nowhere, infections that keep coming back, night sweats that drench the sheets, lymph nodes that quietly swell, and a weakness that becomes impossible to ignore.

These are symptoms that patients often dismiss as “just stress” or “just getting older” – and symptoms that, without targeted awareness, can be easily overlooked in a busy clinic.

Research confirms that delays in blood cancer diagnosis can range from 30 days to seven months. In a public health system under significant pressure, the risk of those delays is even greater.

Mokomele explains that there is currently no formalised haematology training for nurses in South Africa, meaning that most blood cancer patients are cared for by oncology-trained nurses or general nurses with limited specialist exposure.

“Yet without a nurse who knows what to look for, even the clearest warning signs can go unnoticed.”

Bridging the Awareness Gap

Mokomele adds that closing this gap is not complicated in principle.

“Nurses are already there, already trusted, already watching. What they need is the knowledge to connect what they are seeing to what it might mean. Through our Access to Transplant (ATT) programme, we bring that knowledge directly to frontline healthcare workers through community mobilisation workshops and education initiatives focused specifically on the early warning signs of blood cancer. The earlier a diagnosis is made, the sooner a patient reaches transplant, in better condition and with a stronger chance of survival. Every informed nurse is a potential turning point in a patient’s journey.”

Photo Credit: Supplied by Samu Hashe (DKMS Africa)

Recognising the People Behind the Diagnosis

For Mokomele, the recognition of International Nurses Day must come with action.

She emphasises that nurses in South Africa are among the most and in one of the most demanding healthcare environments in the world, carrying patient loads that would overwhelm most, and still showing up with care and attention every single day.

“What they deserve is not just our gratitude but our commitment to equipping them better. Because when a nurse has the awareness to recognise blood cancer early, they are not just doing their job. They are giving someone a second chance at life.”