Development and Implementation of an Online Education Program on Advanced Breast Cancer for European Cancer Nurses: ABC4Nurses Project: a Brief Report.

Breast cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Approximately 30% of those who present with early breast cancer later develop advanced breast cancer (ABC). Additionally, approximately 6% have advanced breast cancer at diagnosis. New treatment options result in an extended lifespan dominated by cycles of deterioration and stable disease. Specialist nurse knowledge is key to multidisciplinary care of people with ABC; however, access to education on ABC for nurses is not universally available in Europe. This paper describes the development and implementation of an online bespoke program on ABC care for specialist and generalist nurses in Europe. The project team is affiliated with the European Oncology Nurses Society (EONS) and comprises specialist breast cancer nurses, oncology nurse academics and breast cancer advocates associated with EUROPA DONNA Turkey, an independent non-profit European breast cancer organisation. The program development involved (1) a systematic review of ABC educational resources for cancer nurses; (2) a modified four-round Delphi study to seek agreement on curriculum content and (3) curriculum development, conversion to an interactive online platform and translation into four European languages. The program evaluation will be guided by Kirkpatrick's framework. The phases described in this short report could guide others involved in developing bespoke cancer education programs.

Consensus views on an advanced breast cancer education curriculum for cancer nurses: A Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: Specialist nursing care is a core indicator of quality care for people living with advanced breast cancer. However, access to and quality of nurse education programmes in advanced breast cancer is variable. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to define the topics for inclusion in an international curriculum for an advanced breast cancer education programme. METHODS: A modified four-round Delphi study was undertaken with experts by profession and experience in advanced breast cancer. Thirty-four topics related to advanced breast cancer and six online teaching and learning methods were pre-selected following a systematic review. Between September 2021 and March 2022, the expert panel determined the importance of topics for inclusion in the education programme. Consensus was defined by at least 80 % agreement on the highest three points on a 9-point Likert scale. RESULTS: A total of 31 experts participated in rounds 1-3 of this study, and 156 experts by profession and experience participated in an additional fourth round, including people living with advanced breast cancer (n = 72, 46 %), healthcare professionals (n = 46, 29 %), family members or caregivers of a person diagnosed with advanced breast cancer (n = 30, 19 %) and advocacy professionals working in the area of advanced breast cancer (n = 8, 5 %). In round 4, 36 topics and five of six learning methods reached consensus. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide a framework to develop education programmes in advanced breast cancer, defining the essential elements of curriculum content for such programmes. The results highlight the need for advanced breast cancer education programmes to use multiple teaching and learning methods to promote nurses' understanding of person-centred supportive care and the physical, psychosocial and spiritual issues experienced by people living with advanced breast cancer.

Advanced breast cancer education for cancer nurses: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Access to comprehensive, integrated, multidisciplinary care is one of the most urgent and actionable recommendations of the Advanced Breast Cancer Global Alliance. However, access to specialist breast care units, and specialist breast cancer nurses is variable, influenced by access to specialist education and role recognition. To date, there has not been a synthesis of evidence regarding educational programmes related to advanced breast cancer education for nurses. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review was to determine the content, mode of delivery, assessment and outcomes of education programmes related to advanced breast cancer for nurses. REVIEW METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken, according to the Joanna Briggs Institute's mixed methods review methodology. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, PUBMED, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycInfo, Joanna Briggs Institute, Web of Science and grey literature sources were systematically searched. Eleven publications met the inclusion criteria. Data relating to programme content, mode of delivery, assessment and outcomes were extracted and analysed. RESULTS: This review identifies a limited number of educational programmes within this specialist area of nursing practice. Shortcomings in the development, implementation and evaluation of advanced breast cancer education programmes included limited use of educational standards, theoretical frameworks and patient and public involvement to inform programme development. Evaluation of education programmes related to advanced breast cancer relied predominantly on self-reported learning, with limited consideration of the impacts of education on service delivery, patient experience or quality of care. CONCLUSIONS: Future development of advanced breast cancer education programmes must consider the alignment of programme content and learning outcomes with existing educational and competency standards. Evaluation of educational programmes in this field must endeavour to enhance rigour of methods, incorporating standardised questionnaires, and multiple methods and sources of data to evaluate the broader impacts of advanced breast cancer education for nurses.