How Can the Impact of Cancer Create Positive Change?

When something is impactful, we say that it alters us, touches us, changes us. We say that it has had a great influence on our lives. This, too, is true of my experience. Although I had been caring for others as an oncology n.

The emotional boundary seesaw model to help cancer clinical nurse specialists work with patients who challenge them.

Receiving a diagnosis of cancer and receiving treatment can be physically and psychologically onerous for cancer patients. Alongside their nursing skills, cancer clinical nurse specialists (CCNSs) are trained to provide psychological support, assessment and intervention following a cancer diagnosis. Mental health specialists, usually clinical psychologists, provide clinical supervision to CCNSs to support them with this. One of the regular themes that comes up in clinical supervision with CCNSs is how to maintain a supportive and therapeutic relationship with 'challenging' patients. These patients may be considered challenging because they are inconsistent, demanding or ambivalent about their care, which puts a strain on the relationship with their CCNS. By using the emotional seesaw model to reflect on and attend to the emotional boundaries of the relationship, within clinical supervision, these challenging relationships can be understood and managed, and better outcomes for the patient can be achieved.

What influences specialist palliative care nurses working in a community setting to engage with research?

AIMS: The aim of this research was to understand what influences specialist palliative care nurses working in a community setting to engage with research. METHODS: Qualitative research using interviews with community based clinical nurse specialists (CNS). FINDINGS: A total of five themes were identified: research negativity and enthusiasm, clinical focus, audits, organisational support and keeping up to date. CONCLUSION: Except for audit activity, CNS do not view the research pillar as an integral part of their clinical role. Previous research education may not give the CNS the breadth of research skills that they require. The advance professional apprenticeship may resolve these education issues. Managers and organisations need to prioritise EBP skills; supporting nurses with both education and EBP mentors to develop these skills. Nurses require ongoing time to engage with research activity and use these skills to improve both their own clinical practice and those who use them as a research resource.

Advanced Practice Nurses and Their Roles in Swiss Cancer Care: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the advanced practice nurse workforce in Swiss cancer care and how their roles are being implemented (eg, role structures, processes) to achieve optimal outcomes for patients and their families, care organizations, and the broader health care system. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample included master-prepared advanced practice nurses in cancer care, who completed an online questionnaire from December 2021 to January 2022. Thirty-nine items assessed structures (eg, role characteristics, utilization), processes (eg, role activities, interventions), and perceived outcomes (eg, for patients, the health care system) of advanced practice nurses in Swiss cancer care. Data from closed questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data from open-ended questions were organized and summarized into categories related to domains of advanced practice nursing and its reported frequency by the advanced practice nurses. RESULTS: The participating advanced practice nurses (n = 53), worked in half of the 26 Swiss cantons. Interventions were identified within nine categories, of which most were targeted to patients and their families (n = 7), followed by health care professionals (n = 2). Perceived positive outcomes were patient symptom management, length of hospital stay, and health care costs. Participants felt less confident in cancer care (eg, autonomous practice) and reported 15 professional development needs (eg, medical interventions, teaching). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a comprehensive examination of 53 advanced practice nurses, detailing the characteristics of their roles and utilization across various jurisdictions and health care settings. The results highlight the diverse dimensions of advanced practice nursing and its potential to enhance cancer services and outcomes in Switzerland. Opportunities for role development support and expansion are identified. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: More systematic health human resource planning is needed to expand the deployment of advanced practice nurses across jurisdictions, practice settings, and more diverse patient populations. Role development needs show the desire for specialized educational preparation in cancer care.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed by a surgical care practitioner: a review of outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical care practitioners (SCPs) are non-medical workers involved in various aspects of the management of surgical patients. The role includes assisting and performing surgical procedures. More than 60,000 laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC) are performed annually in the UK. With ever-increasing pressure on waiting lists, it is important to look at fully utilising the skills of our entire workforce. We report what we believe is the first published series of LC performed by an SCP. METHODS: A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database was performed. The primary outcome was any complication requiring intervention. Secondary outcomes were minor complications, operative time, length of stay, conversion and readmission. RESULTS: In total, 170 patients were operated on. Indications were biliary colic in 127 (74.7%), cholecystitis in 30 (17.6%) and pancreatitis in 13 (7.6%). Mean operating time was 65min (range 35-152min). Fifty-three operations were assisted by a consultant, 110 by a specialist or associate specialist grade (SAS) doctor and 7 by a core trainee (CT2). Some 139 (81.7%) patients were discharged on the day of surgery and 24 (14.1%) stayed one night in hospital. There were no major complications. Five patients required readmission, three with pain and two with port site infections. There were no conversions or transfusions required. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of published data on surgical outcomes of procedures performed by SCPs. With a structured, supervised approach, SCPs could be trained to take on more complex procedures and further strengthen the surgical workforce. This study demonstrates that elective LC can be safely performed by an appropriately trained and supervised SCP.

Advanced Practice Nursing Titles and Roles in Cancer Care: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVES: Advanced practice nursing roles in cancer care are diverse and exist across the cancer care continuum. However, the titles used and the scope of practice differ across countries. This diversity is likely to be misleading to patients and influence nurses' contribution to health care. An understanding of the current state of advanced practice nursing roles in cancer care internationally is needed to inform opportunities for future role development and enhance cancer nursing career pathways. METHODS: This scoping review included a systematic search of four databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Academic Search Complete. Independent screening for papers meeting the review's inclusion criteria was undertaken using online screening software. Data extraction, coding, and mapping were undertaken in NVivo 12. RESULTS: Of the 13,409 records identified, 108 met the review's inclusion criteria. A variety of roles in cancer care settings were described. The United States and the United Kingdom had the most titles for advanced practice nursing roles. Tumor-specific roles were described and integrated into different phases of the cancer care continuum. Trends in continuing professional development for advanced practice nurses in cancer care included the rise in Fellowship programs in the United States and practice-based education in the United Kingdom. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in advanced practice nursing roles in cancer care allow regional and institutional variation to meet the needs of patient populations and health care system demands. However, a lack of clarity surrounding titles and roles results in confusion and underutilization of these nurses' highly specialized skill sets. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Incongruence in titles and scope of practice internationally will ultimately result in a merging of roles. There is a need for international agreement on education requirements for advanced practice nursing roles to promote career pathways.

Barriers and facilitators to giving prehabilitation advice by clinical nurse specialists and advanced nurse practitioners in oncology patients.

PURPOSE: This is the second article in this series on the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) and ANPs (advanced nurse practitioners) regarding prehabilitation advice in oncology patients, exploring the barriers and facilitators to giving prehabilitation advice by CNSs and ANPs in oncology patients. METHODS: A Cross-sectional online questionnaire opens for 3 months to establish the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of ANPs and CNSs to prehabilitation disseminated through professional organisations and social media. RESULTS: The questionnaire gained (n = 415) responses. Prehabilitation advice was routinely given by 89% (n = 371) of respondents. Many (60%) identified a lack of guidance and referral processes as a barrier to giving prehabilitation advice; this corresponded between respondents' confidence to give prehabilitation advice and subsequent referrals (< 0.001). Other factors included time (61%), a lack of patient interest (44%) and limited relevance to patients (35%). CONCLUSION: The implementation of standardised nurse prehabilitation advice resources would enable CNSs and ANPs to provide personalised prehabilitation advice in their consultations.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a clinical nurse specialist triage role in a specialist palliative care community service.

BACKGROUND: In 2017, a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) triaging role was created within a specialist palliative care community service (SPCCS) in Ireland to enhance the triage process. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the role regarding data collection and reporting. Structured feedback from healthcare professionals (HCPs) was obtained on the effects, challenges and sustainability of this role. METHODS: This study used a mixed-methods approach. A quantitative analysis of referrals triaged by the SPCCS CNS over 2 years (2018-2019) was performed. Two focus groups with HCP's within the same service were completed in January 2020 and one-to-one interviews were conducted. The quantitative and qualitative results were merged using a triangulation protocol. RESULTS: In 2017, new health service executive (HSE) standards to categorise the urgency of patient assessment were introduced. Quantitatively, an improvement within the triage process was seen, with an increase in compliance with national access standards. In 2018, compliance was 89.1%. In 2019, this was 96.8%, an improvement of 7.7%. A data discrepancy of 9.5% of referrals was noted over the first 9 months of 2018. After this, data documentation and congruency were seen to improve for the final 3 months of 2018 to 100% and remained at 100%. Qualitative data highlighted the benefits and challenges of the Triage CNS role. Mixed-methods correlation revealed corroboration between both using a triangulation protocol. CONCLUSION: The triage CNS role was pivotal as an initial point of referral contact. Increased compliance with national access standards occurred resulting in improvements in case and case-load management, information gathering, documentation, data collection and analysis.

Electronic Patient Reported Outcome Measures for Optimal Remote Symptom Management in Advanced Breast Cancer: Embracing Digital Health Technology.

OBJECTIVE: To review the use of electronic patient outcome measures (ePROMs) in advanced breast cancer (ABC) and its effectiveness in supporting remote symptom monitoring. DATA SOURCES: An overview of published randomized controlled trials using electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) in ABC care. CONCLUSION: The use of ePROMs in ABC care combined with oncology clinical nurse specialist (CNS) interventions has shown that patient-centered care through remote monitoring of disease and treatment symptoms can improve ABC patient outcomes and experience. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) have an important role in the effective implementation of ePROMs in ABC care. CNSs are considered most appropriate to lead on and respond to ePROMs, addressing complex symptom issues and maximizing the quality of life (QoL) for the ABC patient. CNSs are a crucial link between the patient, primary and secondary level care health professionals, and the ePROM portal for ABC care.

The effectiveness of nurse-led care in supporting self-management in patients with cancer: A systematic review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of nurse-led follow-up care supporting self-management of people who have had or have cancer. BACKGROUND: Cancer care is evolving towards enabling people to self-manage the impact of cancer, treatment and overall care on their quality of life (QoL), self-efficacy and distress. DESIGN: A systematic review following Joanna Briggs Institution (JBI) guidance and reported in accordance with the PRISMA statement was undertaken. METHODS: Four databases were searched, OVID Medline, CINAHL, PsychINFO and Embase. Quantitative randomised control trials with people who have or have had cancer accessing nurse-led care or nurse-led intervention, undertaken within secondary care were included. Narrative synthesis was undertaken due to heterogeneity of measures used and time points of assessment. RESULTS: Seven papers were included in the final review, all meeting moderate to high-quality appraisal. Only one study found an impact of nurse-led care on all three factors under investigation, with a further two studies finding an effect on distress. The remaining studies did not find an impact of the intervention. CONCLUSION: Clinical Nurse Specialists are well placed to provide follow-up care for people with cancer, but in relation to QoL, self-efficacy and distress, there is limited evidence of effectiveness of nurse-led interventions. PUBLIC OR PATIENT CONTRIBUTION: This systematic review did not have any public or patient contribution. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Cancer care is moving to a chronic care, self-management model. Clinical nurse specialists are well placed to innovate interventions that assist people with cancer to self-manage.

Transition of Care for Older Adults Undergoing General Surgery.

The demand for surgical intervention and hospitalization is expected to increase with the growth of the older adult population. Despite advances in technology and minimally invasive surgical procedures, the needs of the older adult in the perioperative period are unique. Transitions of care from the decision to support surgery through surgical intervention, subsequent hospitalization, and postacute discharge must be supported to achieve optimal patient outcomes. The clinical nurse specialist is well suited to address care delivery and assure implementation of best practices across the continuum.

Prognosis Discussion and Referral to Community Palliative Care Services in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated in a Tertiary Cancer Centre.

Advanced pancreatic cancer is associated with a poor prognosis, often less than 1 year. Honest prognosis discussions guide early community palliative care services input, facilitating timely advance care planning and improving quality of life. The aims were to assess if patients were offered prognosis discussions and community palliative care services referral. A retrospective analysis of consecutive case-notes of new advanced pancreatic cancer patients was conducted. Chi-squared test assessed the association with prognosis discussion and community palliative care services referral. In total, 365 cases (60%) had a documented prognosis discussion at any time-point in the treatment pathway; 54.4% during the first appointment. The frequency of prognosis discussion was greater with nurse clinician review at first appointment (p < 0.001). In total, 171 patients (28.1%) were known to community palliative care services at the first appointment. Of those not known, 171 (39.1%) and 143 (32.7%) were referred at this initial time-point or later, respectively. There was a significant association between the referral to community palliative care services at first appointment and the reviewing professional (this was greatest for nurse clinicians (frequency 65.2%)) (p < 0.001), and also if reviewed by clinical nurse specialist at first visit or not (47.8% vs. 35.6%) (p < 0.01). Prognosis discussions were documented in approximately two-thirds of cases, highlighting missed opportunities. Prognosis discussion was associated with clinician review and was most frequent for nurse clinician, as was referral to community palliative care services. Clinical nurse specialist review increased referral to community palliative care services if seen at the initial visit. Multi-disciplinary review, specifically nursing, therefore, during the first consultation is imperative and additive. It should be considered best practice to offer and negotiate the content and timing of prognosis discussions with cancer patients, and revisit this offer throughout their treatment pathway. Greater attention to prognosis discussion documentation is recommended.

The Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist: A Rapid Review of Implementation Models and Barriers around the World.

The role of a clinical nurse specialist in oncology varies greatly between healthcare systems, and implementing this healthcare role with its multifaceted and co-existing responsibilities may prove challenging. While already integrated into healthcare systems and services in several European countries, Asia, Canada, and the United States, other countries are just beginning to develop clinical nursing specialties. The current study aims to provide healthcare policymakers with up-to-date evidence that focuses on the diverse modes of oncology clinical nurse specialist role implementation across several healthcare systems and pertinent implementation challenges as described in the literature. A rapid evidence assessment was carried out in order to provide policymakers with a rigorous review in a condensed timescale. Initially, only items in the English language were included, and "grey literature" was excluded. We searched PubMed between 1 January 2022 and 28 February 2022 and two independent scholars reviewed items. Based on 64 papers, both non-scientific and papers that met the initial criteria of the rapid review, we describe the modes of implementation of the oncology clinical nurse specialist in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil and Australia. Barriers to implementation include conflicts around role boundaries, skepticism and lack of organizational support, as well as fears that oncology clinical nurse specialists will "encroach" on doctors' powers. In contrast, an oncology clinical nurse specialist is found to be universally more accessible to patients and their families and can help physicians deal with difficult workloads, among other advantages. Conclusions: This role offers a myriad of gains for cancer patients, oncology physicians, and the healthcare system. The literature demonstrates that it is a necessary role, albeit one that brings specific implementation challenges.

Nurses and Physicians' Perceptions Regarding the Role of Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialists in an Exploratory Qualitative Study.

The purpose of the study was to examine the attitudes of nursing and medical teams about the role of oncology clinical nurse specialists in the healthcare system in Israel, where, unlike many countries in the world, such a role has not yet been developed or professionally defined. We conducted 24 interviews with physicians and nurses between August and October 2021. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis method. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used to report the study. Five main themes emerged from the interviews: (1) contribution to the healthcare system, (2) contribution to the patient, (3) drawing professional boundaries, (4) additional responsibilities and authority for oncology clinical nurse specialists, and (5) the field's readiness for a new position of oncology clinical nurse specialists. The findings provide evidence about the need to develop the role of clinical nurse specialists in the oncology field due to its potential benefits for nurses, physicians, patients, family members, and the healthcare system. At the same time, an in-depth exploration of the boundaries of the role and its implementation, in full cooperation with the oncologists and relevant professional unions, is needed to prevent unnecessary conflicts in the oncology field. Professional development training programs in nursing must create a platform for open dialogue between key stakeholders, nurses, and physicians, in order to help all involved parties, place the benefits to the patients above any personal or status considerations.

Nutrition nurse-led outpatient 'hot' clinics are efficient and cost-effective: a retrospective single-centre evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition nurses work in multidisciplinary and nurse-led outpatient clinics. The daily nutrition nurse-led 'hot' clinic in this study sees patients for enteral or home parenteral nutritional support. Appointments may be for routine procedures or emergency reviews. AIMS: This study aimed to identify activities and procedures performed in the nutrition nurse-led clinic, identifying admission avoidance activity. METHODS: Nurse-held records for the period from April 2018 to March 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Data were collated in an Excel spreadsheet for analysis and results are presented using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Records covered a total of 590 patients, 294 men and 296 women with a median age of 59 years, and 606 procedures. Key activities were troubleshooting enteral feeding tubes (29%), insertion of fine-bore nasogastric feeding tubes (18%) and management of home parenteral nutrition issues (11%). The presenting problem or issue was resolved in 90% of patients, with no need for hospital admission or additional medical review. CONCLUSION: The nutrition nurse-led clinic provides an efficient and cost-effective service, preventing hospital admission and emergency department attendance in most cases.

Mesothelioma patient and carer experience research: A research prioritisation exercise.

OBJECTIVES: Incidence of mesothelioma worldwide is growing and the UK reports the highest global incidence. Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer with a high symptom burden. However, it is under researched when compared to other cancers. The aim of this exercise was to identify unanswered questions about the mesothelioma patient and carer experience in the UK and to prioritise research areas of most importance through consultation with patients, carers and professionals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A virtual Research Prioritisation Exercise was conducted. This involved a review of mesothelioma patient and carer experience literature to identify research gaps and a national online survey to identify and rank research gaps. Following this, a modified consensus method with mesothelioma experts (patients, carers and professionals from healthcare, legal, academic and volunteer organisations) was undertaken to reach a consensus regarding mesothelioma patient and carer experience research priorities. RESULTS: Survey responses were received from 150 patients, carers and professionals and 29 research priorities were identified. During consensus meetings, 16 experts refined these into a list of 11 key priorities. The five most urgent priorities were symptom management, receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis, palliative and end of life care, treatment experiences, barriers and facilitators to joined up service provision. CONCLUSION: This novel priority setting exercise will shape the national research agenda, contribute knowledge to inform nursing and wider clinical practice and ultimately improve the experiences of mesothelioma patients and carers.

Personalized Palliative and Survivorship Care for Patients With Metastatic Cancer Treated With Radiation Therapy.

While the benefits of early palliative care for patients with metastatic cancer are well established, cancer survivorship remains inadequately integrated into the care of patients with distant metastases. Moreover, the optimal model of care delivery is poorly defined. A prognostic model previously developed and validated at Good Samaritan University Hospital identified four groups of patients with metastatic solid tumor malignancy having very favorable, favorable, standard or unfavorable prognoses with median survival of 31, 14, 4 and 1 month, respectively. This framework holds promise for the personalized delivery of supportive, palliative and survivorship care services in the context of radiation therapy. We review the published literature providing the rationale for a novel multidisciplinary care model where the radiation oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist identifies and coordinates interventions to address unmet physical and emotional issues faced by survivors with metastatic cancer with the goal of improving quality of life and overall survival.

Validação de questionário sobre a assistência do enfermeiro de práticas avançadas à idosos / Validation of questionnaire on advanced practice nurse assistance for elderly / Validación de cuestionario de prácticas avanzadas asistencia de enfermería para ancianos

Objetivo: Construir e validar instrumento para avaliar o grau de satisfação dos usuários idosos no modelo de atuação do enfermeiro navegador, clínico e de práticas avançadas em serviços de oncologia. Métodos: Estudo metodológico embasado no processo de construção e validação de instrumento que contemplou a estrutura conceitual; definição dos objetivos e população; construção dos itens e escala de resposta; seleção e organização dos itens; estruturação do instrumento; opinião de especialistas; pré-teste e validação de conteúdo. Resultados: Construiu-se instrumento com 13 itens, distribuídos em dois blocos temáticos: aspectos socioeconômicos, composto por oito itens, e cinco perguntas fechadas. Evidenciado por dois métodos estatísticos: correlação não paramétrica e coeficiente de concordância. Conclusão: Conclui-se que o instrumento de avaliação sobre o grau de satisfação de usuários idosos com um modelo de atuação do enfermeiro navegador, enfermeiro clínico e enfermeiro de práticas avançadas tem validade de conteúdo e aparência. (AU)

Objective: To construct and validate an instrument to evaluate the degree of satisfaction of elderly users in the nurse navigator, clinical and advanced practice models in oncology services. Methods: Methodological study based on the process of construction and validation of an instrument that included the conceptual structure; definition of objectives and population; construction of items and response scale; selection and organization of items; structuring of the instrument; expert opinion; pre-test and content validation. Results: An instrument with 13 items was constructed, distributed in two thematic blocks: socioeconomic aspects composed of eight items, and five closed questions. Evidenced by two statistical methods: non-parametric correlation and agreement coefficient. Conclusion: It is concluded that the assessment instrument on the degree of satisfaction of elderly users with a nurse navigator, nurse practitioner and advanced practice nurse performance model has content and appearance validity. (AU)

Objetivo: Construir y validar un instrumento para evaluar el grado de satisfacción de los usuarios mayores en los modelos de enfermera navegante, clínica y de práctica avanzada en los servicios de oncología. Métodos: Estudio metodológico basado en el proceso de construcción y validación de un instrumento que incluyó la estructura conceptual; la definición de los objetivos y la población; la construcción de los ítems y la escala de respuesta; la selección y organización de los ítems; la estructuración del instrumento; la opinión de expertos; el pre-test y la validación del contenido. Resultados: Instrumento construido con 13 ítems, distribuidos en dos bloques temáticos: aspectos socioeconómicos compuestos por ocho ítems, y cinco preguntas cerradas. Lo demuestran dos métodos estadísticos: la correlación no paramétrica y el coeficiente de acuerdo. Conclusión: Se concluye que el instrumento de aval sobre el grado de satisfacción de los usuarios idosos con un modelo de actuación del enfermero navegador, enfermero clínico y enfermero de prácticas avanzadas tiene validez de contenido y apariencia. (AU)

Non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: the evolving treatment landscape and role of nurse specialists.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men in the UK. Within 2 years of diagnosis, one-third of patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) will develop metastatic disease, which is associated with significantly greater morbidity and mortality compared to disease without metastases. The approval of second-generation androgen receptor inhibitors such as darolutamide has transformed the nmCRPC treatment landscape because they lead to prolonged metastasis-free survival and better maintenance of quality of life compared with placebo. Early identification of patients with nmCRPC who are suitable for treatment is imperative because most of these patients are asymptomatic. Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) play a critical, supportive role in the management of disease and treatment follow-up. This product-focused article discusses the use of darolutamide in nmCRPC and the vital role that CNSs play in the management and care of patients with prostate cancer.