Novice Oncology Nurse Navigator: Core Elements in Establishing Training Needs and Building on Competencies.

BACKGROUND: Oncology nurse navigation opportunities are rapidly expanding as the value of the role is recognized. However, there is a lack of training opportunities focusing on the unique needs of the oncology nurse navigator (ONN). Most navigator training programs provide only general oncology navigation content. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the current state of training for the novice ONN and begin to identify core elements to inform development of a standardized training program. METHODS: Navigator training programs and literature related to the role and development needs of the novice ONN were reviewed. FINDINGS: Training of the novice ONN varies widely, with little evaluation of the most effective way to prepare for the role. It is clear that the learning needs of the ONN are different than those of other types of navigators and oncology nurses.

A Junior Doctor's Perspective on Oncology and Palliative Medicine Education in Western Australia: Comparison Between Graduation and Completion of Internship.

Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia and is also the leading cause of disease burden as survivorship continues to improve. Given the prevalence of oncology patients in the community, it is likely to be a condition encountered by every junior doctor. Despite this oncology and in conjunction with that, palliative care has not been a core component of medical curriculum until recently. This means that the junior doctor experience is often complicated by lack of knowledge, poor understanding of the disease process, treatment options and complications and therefore makes managing these patients complicated and often an uncessarily stressful process. This reflective article explores current issues in cancer education, a reflection and comparison between pre- and post-internship experience and offers some potential solutions to these issues.

Training Needs of Clinical and Research Professionals to Optimize Minority Recruitment and Retention in Cancer Clinical Trials.

The study of disparities in minority recruitment to cancer clinical trials has focused primarily on inquiries among minority patient populations. However, clinical trial recruitment is complex and requires a broader appreciation of the multiple factors that influence minority participation. One area that has received little attention is minority recruitment training for professionals who assume various roles in the clinical trial recruitment process. Therefore, we assessed the perspectives of cancer center clinical and research personnel on their training and education needs toward minority recruitment for cancer clinical trials. Ninety-one qualitative interviews were conducted at five U.S. cancer centers among four stakeholder groups: cancer center leaders, principal investigators, referring clinicians, and research staff. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analyses focused on response data related to training for minority recruitment for cancer clinical trials. Four prominent themes were identified: (1) Research personnel are not currently being trained to focus on recruitment and retention of minority populations; (2) Training for minority recruitment and retention provides for a specific focus on factors influencing minority research participation; (3) Training on cultural awareness may help to bridge cultural gaps between potential minority participants and research professionals; (4) Views differ regarding the importance of research personnel training designed to focus on recruitment of minority populations. There is a lack of systematic training for minority recruitment. Many stakeholders acknowledged the benefits of minority recruitment training and welcomed training that focuses on increasing cultural awareness to increase the participation of minorities in cancer clinical trials.

Study of the Pre-Analytical Phase of an ISO 15189: 2012-Certified Cytopathology Laboratory: A 5-Year Institutional Experience.

OBJECTIVE: Total quality management, which basically involves pre-analytical, analytical, and postanalytical phases, is relatively more difficult in cytopathology due to descriptive reports and subjective variability. The pre-analytical phase of total quality management constitutes a major burden of errors in the laboratory and it has not been widely studied in cytopathology except in cervical Pap smears. The present study was therefore conducted to study the pre-analytical phase over 5 years from April 2013 until May 2018 at an ISO 15189: 2012-certified cytopathology laboratory, in a resource-limited setting. It was also intended to study the level of satisfaction of the patients and the training of the professionals provided in the cytology lab so as to improve and maintain high quality standards. METHODS: The study included all the documents relating to the quality program used in the last 5 years in a medical institute situated in the north sub-Himalayan region of India. All the data were recorded and analysed for pre-analytical analysis of the total quality management system. RESULTS: In total, 20,130 samples were received for cytological investigation. The total number of errors which were detected in the cytopathology lab were 1,430, constituting 7.1% of the total investigations done. The pre-analytical phase errors comprised 57% of the total errors (815/1,430), analytical errors constituted 11% (157/1,430), while postanalytical errors represented 32% (458/1,430). Incompletely filled requisition forms constituted the most common pre-analytical error (38%). There was a gradual decrease in the errors with time, but with a sudden increase between January to June 2015 due to new technicians joining during that period. CONCLUSION: Pre-analytical quality management is an essential component for maintaining the quality and reducing the errors in the cytopathology lab. Documentation, continuous training, and maintenance of internal and external quality control with quality charts are the key for successful quality management. The identification of non-conformance with root-cause analysis and provision of scope for continuous improvement is vital for quality improvement in the lab. Patient satisfaction is an important aspect of quality in the lab, which should be combined with the satisfaction of the personnel working in the lab.

Supporting healthy weight gain and management in pregnancy: Does a mandatory training education session improve knowledge and confidence of midwives?

OBJECTIVE: To examine if a brief midwifery education and training session incorporated into annual mandatory training improves the knowledge and confidence of midwives to support healthy weight gain and management in pregnancy. DESIGN: An implementation evaluation using a pre-post study design was used. Midwives completed a self- administered questionnaire prior to and following completion of the training session. Objective knowledge, perceived knowledge and confidence in relation to nutrition, physical activity and healthy weight gain and management, and process measures related to the training were assessed. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: All midwives from a tertiary birthing hospital in Brisbane Australia who attended the annual mandatory training day in 2015 were invited to participate. MEASUREMENT AND FINDINGS: Of the 270 midwives who attended the training 154 pre and 114 post training questionnaires were returned. An increase in perceived knowledge across topic areas was reported by 70-97% of respondents, while perceived confidence increased for 83-91% of respondents across each topic area. Objective knowledge score increased from 11 pre-training to 15 post training (maximum score 17) (p < 0.001). Ninety six percent of respondents agreed the training provided practical communication strategies and 100% would recommend the training to others. KEY CONCLUSIONS: This brief education session integrated into an existing mandatory training program, improved the knowledge and confidence of midwives in delivering advice and support for healthy pregnancy weight gain. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This improvement is the first step in changing practice to prevent excess weight gain during the antenatal period. This program offers an innovative model to support midwives implement change across other health services. A low cost intervention that was well received by midwives can address identified barriers to the provision of best practice care that supports a healthy pregnancy weight gain in a sustainable forum.

Palliative care volunteerism across the healthcare system: A survey study.

BACKGROUND: Volunteers fulfil several roles in supporting terminally ill people and their relatives and can positively influence quality of care. Healthcare in many countries faces resource constraints and some governments now expect communities to provide an increasing proportion of palliative care. However, systematic insights into volunteer presence, tasks and training and organisational challenges for volunteerism are lacking. AIM: Describe organised volunteerism in palliative direct patient care across the Flemish healthcare system (Belgium). DESIGN: A cross-sectional postal survey using a self-developed questionnaire was conducted with 342 healthcare organisations. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: The study included full population samples of palliative care units, palliative day-care centres, palliative home care teams, medical oncology departments, sitting services, community home care services and a random sample of nursing homes. RESULTS: Responses were obtained for 254 (79%) organisations; 80% have volunteers providing direct patient care. Psychosocial, signalling and existential care tasks were the most prevalent volunteer tasks. The most cited organisational barriers were finding suitable (84%) and new (80%) volunteers; 33% of organisations offered obligatory training (75% dedicated palliative care, 12% nursing homes). Differences in volunteer use were associated with training needs and prevalence of organisational barriers. CONCLUSION: Results suggest potential for larger volunteer contingents. The necessity of volunteer support and training and organisational coordination of recruitment efforts is emphasised. Organisations are encouraged to invest in adequate volunteer support and training. The potential of shared frameworks for recruitment and training of volunteers is discussed. Future research should study volunteerism at the volunteer level to contrast with organisational data.

Increasing radiology capacity within the lung cancer pathway: centralised work-based support for trainee chest X-ray reporting radiographers.

INTRODUCTION: Diagnostic capacity and time to diagnosis are frequently identified as a barrier to improving cancer patient outcomes. Maximising the contribution of the medical imaging workforce, including reporting radiographers, is one way to improve service delivery. METHODS: An efficient and effective centralised model of workplace training support was designed for a cohort of trainee chest X-ray (CXR) reporting radiographers. A comprehensive schedule of tutorials was planned and aligned with the curriculum of a post-graduate certificate in CXR reporting. Trainees were supported via a hub and spoke model (centralised training model), with the majority of education provided by a core group of experienced CXR reporting radiographers. Trainee and departmental feedback on the model was obtained using an online survey. RESULTS: Fourteen trainees were recruited from eight National Health Service Trusts across London. Significant efficiencies of scale were possible with centralised support (48 h) compared to traditional workplace support (348 h). Trainee and manager feedback overall was positive. Trainees and managers both reported good trainee support, translation of learning to practice and increased confidence. Logistics, including trainee travel and release, were identified as areas for improvement. CONCLUSION: Centralised workplace training support is an effective and efficient method to create sustainable diagnostic capacity and support improvements in the lung cancer pathway.

Validation of the Healthy Foot Screen: A Novel Assessment Tool for Common Clinical Abnormalities.

GENERAL PURPOSE: The purpose of this learning activity is to provide information about the Healthy Foot Screen, a new tool for assessment of common foot abnormalities. TARGET AUDIENCE: This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care. LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES: After completing this continuing education activity, you should be able to:1. Recognize prevalence, causes, risk factors, signs, and types of common foot problems.2. Identify the results of this study about the new foot screening tool and its implications in primary care. ABSTRACT: Foot health is a key component of general health and well-being. Nevertheless, feet are often overlooked by healthcare providers and patients. Common foot problems include infections or inflammatory conditions, abnormal nail disorders (eg, onychomycosis), structural bony abnormalities, circulation disorders, and other conditions. The development of an easy-to-use, rapid, clinical tool to assess foot health can facilitate primary care provider recognition and treatment of common foot problems. This study ascertained interrater item reliability and validity from the preliminary version of one such tool called the Healthy Foot Screen.A total of 18 patients from a community dermatology clinic were individually screened by 11 interprofessional healthcare assessors using the preliminary tool. The assessors included a dermatologist/internist, family physicians, nurses, and podiatrists. The initial draft of the Healthy Foot Screen was created through an extensive literature review, complemented by the clinical judgment of the study team. Cronbach α was calculated for each item to determine interrater reliability. A minimum value of 0.6 was set for an item to be included in the final tool. Where applicable, scores for each item on the screen were calculated for right and left lower limbs and then averaged. Assessors were asked to complete a short survey.Interrater reliability scores for items on the screen were as follows: diabetes and smoking, 1.0; neuropathy, 0.988; palpable foot pulse, 0.916; abnormal fourth to fifth toe web space, 0.905; previous ulcer/amputation, 0.869; pitting edema, 0.872; bony abnormality, 0.804; dry bottom of foot, 0.799; toenail infection, 0.793; other spots/lesions,0.688; and red areas/blisters/pustules, 0.659. Generally, assessors found the tool easy to use, although some areas for improvement were noted.The Healthy Foot Screen can facilitate primary care provider diagnosis and treatment of common foot problems.

Diagnostic flexible pharyngo-laryngoscopy: development of a procedure specific assessment tool using a Delphi methodology.

PURPOSE: Proper training and assessment of skill in flexible pharyngo-laryngoscopy are central in the education of otorhinolaryngologists. To facilitate an evidence-based approach to curriculum development in this field, a structured analysis of what constitutes flexible pharyngo-laryngoscopy is necessary. Our aim was to develop an assessment tool based on this analysis. METHODS: We conducted an international Delphi study involving experts from twelve countries in five continents. Utilizing reiterative assessment, the panel defined the procedure and reached consensus (defined as 80% agreement) on the phrasing of an assessment tool. RESULTS: FIFTY PANELISTS COMPLETED THE DELPHI PROCESS. THE MEDIAN AGE OF THE PANELISTS WAS 44 YEARS (RANGE 33-64 YEARS). MEDIAN EXPERIENCE IN OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY WAS 15 YEARS (RANGE 6-35 YEARS). TWENTY-FIVE WERE SPECIALIZED IN LARYNGOLOGY, 16 WERE HEAD AND NECK SURGEONS, AND NINE WERE GENERAL OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGISTS. AN ASSESSMENT TOOL WAS CREATED CONSISTING OF TWELVE DISTINCT ITEMS.: Conclusion The gathering of validity evidence for assessment of core procedural skills within Otorhinolaryngology is central to the development of a competence-based education. The use of an international Delphi panel allows for the creation of an assessment tool which is widely applicable and valid. This work allows for an informed approach to technical skills training for flexible pharyngo-laryngoscopy and as further validity evidence is gathered allows for a valid assessment of clinical performance within this important skillset.

Gaps in Workplace Education For Prevention of Occupational Skin Disease.

Background: Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) is a common occupational disease. Evidence suggests that education and training are effective prevention strategies. In spite of these known prevention strategies, workers continue to develop OCD. Little is reported regarding the actual training experience of workers. Objective: To examine the training experience of workers with contact dermatitis to identify areas for improvement. Methods: Participants were workers being assessed for contact dermatitis in an occupational health clinic. The anonymous survey collected demographics, workplace characteristics, and education and prevention practices. Results: Approximately 80% reported general occupational health and safety training; however, only 49% reported skin-specific training (SST). For workers reporting SST, most received information regarding exposure avoidance, hand washing, and glove use. This content was reported as helpful by at least 50%. Workers who did not receive SST indicated the most important content would be warning signs of skin problems, how to avoid exposure and skin care while using gloves. Conclusions: While the study was anonymous and used self-reported of training experience, the study suggests there are gaps in skin protection training. Addressing these gaps may lead to improved prevention and reduction in OCD.

Root Cause Analysis of ICU Adverse Events in the Veterans Health Administration.

BACKGROUND: ICUs' provision of complex care for critically ill patients results in an environment with a high potential for adverse events. A study was conducted to characterize adverse events in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) ICUs that underwent root cause analysis (RCA) and to identify the root causes and their recommended actions. METHODS: This retrospective observational study of RCA reports concerned events that occurred in VHA ICUs or as a result of ICU processes from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2014. The type of event, root causes, and recommended actions were measured. RESULTS: Some 70 eligible RCAs were identified in 47 of the 120 facilities with an ICU in the VHA system. Delays in care (30.0%) and medication errors (28.6%) were the most common types of events. There were 152 root causes and 277 recommended actions. Root causes often involved rules, policies, and procedure processes (28.3%), equipment/supply issues (15.8%), and knowledge deficits/education (15.1%). Common actions recommended were policy, procedure, and process actions (34.4%) and training/education actions (31.4%). Of the actions implemented, 84.4% had a reported effectiveness of "much better" or "better." CONCLUSION: ICU adverse events often had several root causes, with protocols and process-of-care issues as root causes regardless of event type. Actions often included standardization of processes and training/education. Several recommendations can be made that may improve patient safety in the ICU, such as standardization of care process, implementation of team training programs, and simulation-based training.

Integrated Approach to Reduce Perinatal Adverse Events: Standardized Processes, Interdisciplinary Teamwork Training, and Performance Feedback.

OBJECTIVE: To improve safety practices and reduce adverse events in perinatal units of acute care hospitals. DATA SOURCES: Primary data collected from perinatal units of 14 hospitals participating in the intervention between 2008 and 2012. Baseline secondary data collected from the same hospitals between 2006 and 2007. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study involving 342,754 deliveries was conducted using a quality improvement collaborative that supported three primary interventions. Primary measures include adoption of three standardized care processes and four measures of outcomes. DATA COLLECTION METHODS: Chart audits were conducted to measure the implementation of standardized care processes. Outcome measures were collected and validated by the National Perinatal Information Center. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The hospital perinatal units increased use of all three care processes, raising consolidated overall use from 38 to 81 percent between 2008 and 2012. The harms measured by the Adverse Outcome Index decreased 14 percent, and a run chart analysis revealed two special causes associated with the interventions. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the ability of hospital perinatal staff to implement efforts to reduce perinatal harm using a quality improvement collaborative. Findings help inform the relationship between the use of standardized care processes, teamwork training, and improved perinatal outcomes, and suggest that a multiplicity of integrated strategies, rather than a single intervention, may be essential to achieve high reliability.

A staff support programme for rural hospitals in Nepal.

PROBLEM: District hospitals in Nepal struggle to provide essential services such as caesarean sections. APPROACH: Retention of health workers is critical to the delivery of long-term, quality health-care services. To promote retention and enhance performance in rural public hospitals, the Government of Nepal and the Nick Simons Institute progressively implemented a rural staff support programme in remote hospitals. After competitive selection for a compulsory-service scholarship and training, family practice doctors who could do basic surgery, orthopaedics and obstetrics were hired under a binding three-year contract in each participating hospital. Comfortable living quarters and an Internet connection were provided for the resident doctors; in-service training for all staff and capacity development for each hospital's management committee were provided. LOCAL SETTING: Nepal's mountainous landscape, poverty and inequitable rural/urban distribution of health workers pose barriers to adequate health care. RELEVANT CHANGES: Between 2011 and 2015 family practice doctors were maintained in all seven programme hospitals. All hospitals became providers of comprehensive emergency obstetric care and served more patients. Compared with hospitals not within the programme, deliveries increased significantly (203% versus 71% increase, respectively; P = 0.002). The programme recently expanded to 14 hospitals. LESSONS LEARNT: A package of human resource supports can improve the retention of doctors and the use of remote hospitals. Factors contributing to the success of this programme were compulsory-service scholarship, central personnel management, performance-based incentives and the provision of comfortable living quarters.

Discussing Death, Dying, and End-of-Life Goals of Care: A Communication Skills Training Module for Oncology Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Effective communication, particularly at the end of life, is an essential skill for oncology nurses, but few receive formal training in this area. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to adapt an end-of-life care communication skills training (CST) module, originally developed for oncologists, for oncology nurses and to evaluate participants' confidence in using the communication skills learned and their satisfaction with the module. METHODS: The adapted end-of-life care module consisted of a 45-minute didactic, exemplary video and 90 minutes of small group interaction and experiential role play with a simulated patient. Using a five-point Likert-type scale, 247 inpatient oncology nurses completed pre-/post-workshop surveys rating their confidence in discussing death, dying, and end-of-life goals of care with patients, as well as overall satisfaction with the module. FINDINGS: Nurses' confidence in discussing death, dying, and end-of-life goals of care increased significantly after attending the workshop. Nurse participants indicated satisfaction with the module by agreeing or strongly agreeing to all six items assessing satisfaction 90%-98% of the time. Nurses' CST in discussing death, dying, and end-of-life care showed feasibility, acceptability, and potential benefit at improving confidence in having end-of-life care discussions.

Availability of TNM Staging Data Elements in the Medical Record and Training Needs Assessment: Results from the 2014 SEER Training Needs Assessment for TNM Study.

BACKGROUND: In 2016, the cancer registry community will directly assign T, N and M components of stage. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program implemented a field study to determine how often T, N and M were not available in the medical record, requiring the registrar to directly assign clinical or pathologic TNM stage components. The field study also identified specific training needs. METHODS: T, N and M status were collected from multiple sources within medical records for a total of 280 cases, 56 each from breast, prostate, colon, lung, and ovarian cancer. TNM data elements were also directly assigned by a series of reviewers and by study participants using the medical records with TNM information redacted. Availability of physician-assigned TNM was estimated from the medical record. Also, participant responses were compared to preferred answers. RESULTS: Pathologic T, N and M were available more often in the medical records than were clinical values and varied by site. Pathologic T and N were available for about two-thirds of the cases, but the clinical elements were available for only about 20% of cases. The agreement between participant responses and review panel assignments varied by data element and cancer site. Agreement was modest for most data elements and cancer sites, ranging from 54% for clinical T to 92% for clinical M for all cancer sites combined. CONCLUSIONS: The data elements for TNM staging and stage group were often missing from the medical records, so registrars in the field will need to assign TNM frequently. Furthermore, the results of this study strongly suggest that more training is required, even among those who currently assign TNM.

[Typical problems in pediatric emergencies: Possible solutions]. / Typische Probleme bei Kindernotfällen: Mögliche Lösungsstrategien.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric emergencies are rare and challenging for health care providers, parents, and patients. The purpose of this article is to highlight typical difficulties in the treatment of pediatric patients and to discuss potential solutions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This article is based on a selective literature search using PubMed and the experience of the authors in the field of simulation and pediatric emergencies. RESULTS: Inexperience with pediatric emergencies, uncertainty in technical skills, in the usage of pediatric equipment and in medication dosage as well as parental presence foster the perception of stress and potentially compromise the success of patient care. Beside implementation of simplified technical skill devices (e.g., intraosseous vascular access system, supraglottic airway devices, and alternative approaches for drug administration), there have been many efforts in recent years to improve patient safety. Tools for estimating body weight and precalculated drug-dosing charts have been implemented as well as standardized courses for guidelines, technical skills, and team-related skills have been established. CONCLUSION: To improve patient safety, regular training and implementation of a sustainable safety culture are mandatory.