Communication Skills Training for Health Care Professionals Who Work with Cancer Patients.

Editor's note: This is a summary of a nursing care-related systematic review from the Cochrane Library. For more information, see http://nursingcare.cochrane.org.

Cancer and Palliative Care in the United States, Turkey, and Malawi: Developing Global Collaborations.

As the global cancer burden grows, so too will global inequities in access to cancer and palliative care increase. This paper will describe the cancer and palliative care landscape relative to nursing practice, education, and research, and emerging global collaborations in the United States (U.S.), Turkey, and Malawi. It is imperative that nurses lead efforts to advance health and strengthen education in these high-need areas. Leaders within the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, through a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Nursing Collaborating Center, have initiated collaborative projects in cancer and palliative care between the U.S., Turkey, and Malawi to strengthen initiatives that can ultimately transform practice. These collaborations will lay a foundation to empower nurses to lead efforts to reduce the global inequities for those with cancer and other serious and life-limiting illnesses.

Doctor of Nursing Practice: The Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the evolution and emerging roles of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). DATA SOURCES: Published peer reviewed literature, cancer-related professional resources, and Web-based resources. CONCLUSION: The DNP education has prepared the APN for process improvement initiatives, providing quality care, and evidence-based practice translation, which are critical with the emerging trends in this complex health care environment. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: DNP-prepared APNs have the opportunity to impact oncology care across the cancer trajectory, in various settings, and in various innovative roles as entrepreneurs.

Information at the Point of Care: An Informational Application for Cancer Resources.

The purpose of this project was to design, develop, and modify a cancer resource application (app) that providers, patients, and caregivers could use to locate local and national cancer resources. The project design used a modified version of the Questionnaire for User Interaction Survey 7.0 to gather information from a convenience sample of nurses and community participants regarding their perception of the app. These data helped to identify gaps in resources and modifications needed to make the app more user-friendly. The current cancer care system is complex, and patients often complain of uncoordinated care, lack of information, and insufficient psychosocial support. Cancer centers are working to meet the American College of Surgeons 2015 recommendation of psychosocial assessment and referrals; the Cancer Resource APP described here provides the resources to meet this need. Prototypes of the app were tested in practice and community settings, then solicited feedback guided needed technology modifications. The resulting Cancer Resource APP provides the healthcare community with information to make timely and consistent referrals for patients and caregivers.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia: an overview with implications for oncology nurses.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), once described as the form of leukemia with the highest mortality, is now the most potentially curable subtype of adult acute myeloid leukemia. A brief review of the history of APL will describe the advances in research and clinical practice and their impact on patient outcomes. Oncology nurses should familiarize themselves with the nuances of APL because of the critical role nurses play in providing support for patients. This article provides an overview of APL, including the epidemiology and pathophysiology that distinguishes APL from other types of acute leukemia. Clinical presentation and diagnostic workup for patients suspected of having APL will be reviewed, as will the treatment course. Nursing implications and management will be provided related to potential treatment complications specific to APL, including coagulopathies, differentiation syndrome, and QT prolongation with the use of arsenic trioxide, as will the side effects and complications that can occur in any patient with leukemia, such as infection, hyperleukocytosis, tumor lysis, and increased intracranial pressure.