Oncology Nurse Navigation in Underserved Communities: Opportunities and Future Directions.

OBJECTIVES: Provide an overview of navigation in three disparate populations: rural, Native American/Alaska Native, and low- to middle-income countries. Discuss gaps in care and opportunities to improve cancer care. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in PubMed and on Google Scholar using search terms, nurse navigation, cancer, disparit*, low- to middle-income countries, Native American, American Indian, and rural. Peer-reviewed research studies, review articles, databases and websites of professional organizations, and historical books were reviewed to provide an overview of oncology nurse navigation in underserved communities. Experiences in working with these populations over the past 30 years were also provided to support current literature. RESULTS: Forty references were included in this overview of nurse navigation in underserved communities. Nurse navigation in these disparate areas is in its infancy. While some programs exist and outcomes have been positive, their dissemination is sparse. A need exists to expand nurse navigation into these areas to provide care for these underserved communities. CONCLUSION: Oncology nursing navigation for each of these underserved communities requires a culturally sensitive approach. Many of these approaches are universal to cultural competency and can be applied to most disparate populations. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses comprise the largest workforce around the globe and are well-equipped to develop navigation programs in some of the most disparate communities around the world. To do so, it is important to use a foundation of building trust, embracing individual differences, providing culturally sensitive education and resources for growth, and good communication.

Cancer Patient Navigation in Canada: Directions From the North.

OBJECTIVES: Cancer is a complex disease that is experienced by those affected by cancer and their loved ones differently. The importance of cancer patient navigation is quintessential to support those affected through the healthcare system and to supportive resources. Canadian cancer statistics advise of the continued increase of cancer and impacts on health care. With Canada being a large geographical area, large portions of the population live in rural and remote areas with decreased access to health services. In Canada, cancer navigation is different across the country; each province's or territory's health authority creates their own cancer navigation program based on the needs of their patients. This report aims to provide an overview of cancer in Canada, along with the different navigation programs available nationally. Additionally, it will review the role the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology/Association canadienne des infirmières en oncologie (CANO/ACIO) plays in creating a community of practice to support cancer patient navigators across the country. METHODS: The information on various provincial and territorial navigation programs was obtained through discussion with the CANO/ACIO Navigation Special Interest Group (SIG). All provinces and territories were interviewed with the exception of Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, and Yukon. RESULTS: While the vast majority of navigation has a similar core intent, there are many differences between the provinces and territories in the navigation programs. These differences are based on geographical need and the individual health authorities. CONCLUSIONS: The Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology/Association canadienne des infirmières en oncologie (CANO/ACIO) provides a community for cancer navigators to connect through a Special Interest Group (SIG), meeting virtually monthly to support each other across Canada to collaborate, identify issues, trends, and challenges. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Cancer patient navigation is a valuable resource for all individuals with cancer and their loved ones, particularly when faced with difficulties accessing care in rural and remote areas. Cancer patient navigators' scope is similar in intent, despite potential differences in programs. By connecting with other navigators through the CANO/ACIO navigation SIG, navigators across the country can provide a connection to discuss program similarities and barriers and opportunities for cancer navigation programs to work together to support each other and evolve their programs to meet the needs of their provincial and territorial residents.

Navigating Transitions in Oncology Care: From Emergency Department to Outpatient Clinic.

OBJECTIVE: This quality improvement project was a collaborative effort with Penn Medicine's emergency department (ED) and oncology nurse navigators (ONNs). The goal of the project was to streamline patient transitions from the ED to the outpatient oncology clinic by developing a standardized referral process. The main objectives were to simplify and automate the referral process using the electronic medical record, improve multidisciplinary communication across the care continuum, ensure timely follow-up, and address barriers to oncology care. METHODS: The ED providers placed a consult to ONNs. The ONNs reached out to the patient within 48 hours of the consult. They maintained a database of patient referrals and collected information such as patient demographics, reason for referral, insurance, and patient outcomes. RESULTS: The ED providers referred 204 patients to the ONNs from April 2022 to September 2023. The development of a standardized referral process from the ED to the outpatient oncology clinic proved successful. Of the patients referred, the ONNs facilitated 98 cancer diagnoses and 80 of those patients are receiving oncology care at Penn Medicine. The median time to the patient's first appointments was seven days, diagnosis was 15 days, and treatment initiation occurred within 32 days. CONCLUSION: The project team achieved their goal of facilitating timely access to oncology care, ensuring continuity, and addressing patient-specific barriers. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: This quality improvement initiative highlights the ONNs' role in enhancing access and equity in cancer care delivery. The success of the project underscores the ONN's expertise and leadership in addressing healthcare disparities in oncology care. Collaboratively, the teams created a new referral workflow improving care transitions from the ED to the outpatient oncology clinic. The project sets a precedent for optimizing patient care transitions, demonstrating the positive impact of ONNs as key members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team.

Síndrome metabólica em profissionais de enfermagem que atuam na assistência oncológica: prevalência e fatores associados / Síndrome metabólico en profesionales de enfermería que actúan en la asistencia oncológica: prevalencia y factores asociados / Metabolic syndrome in nursing professionals working in oncology care: prevalence and associated factors

RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar a prevalência da síndrome metabólica e os fatores associados em profissionais de enfermagem que atuam em oncologia. Método: estudo transversal com 231 profissionais de enfermagem, de um centro de alta complexidade em oncologia do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, entre junho de 2013 e junho de 2015. Realizou-se entrevista para coleta de dados sociodemográficos, profissionais, antecedentes pessoais, hábitos e estilos de vida e condições de saúde. Foram realizadas medida da circunferência da cintura, peso, altura, pressão arterial casual e Monitorização Ambulatorial da Pressão Arterial, além da glicemia plasmática de jejum, triglicerídeos e lipoproteína de alta densidade. Avaliou-se a síndrome metabólica de acordo com a I Diretriz Brasileira de Diagnóstico e Tratamento da Síndrome Metabólica. Regressão de Poisson com variância robusta foi realizada, sendo a presença da síndrome metabólica ou não o desfecho. Resultados: a prevalência da síndrome metabólica foi de 25,1% e esta condição se associou ao maior tempo de formação profissional (4,0%; IC95%:1,05-1,07), à maior pressão diastólica na Monitorização Ambulatorial da Pressão Arterial do período de sono (3,0%; IC95%:1,01-1,05), presença de sobrepeso (2,84%; IC95%:1,93-6,70) e obesidade (4,94%; IC95%:2,08-11,77). Conclusões: observou-se alta prevalência da síndrome metabólica nos profissionais avaliados, e associação com excesso de peso e alteração da pressão no período de sono. Os resultados apontam para necessidade de intervenções para controle de fatores de risco para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis na população estudada.

RESUMEN Objetivo: evaluar la prevalencia del síndrome metabólico y los factores asociados en profesionales de enfermería que actúan en oncología. Método: estudio transversal con 231 profesionales de enfermería, de un centro de alta complejidad en oncología del Estado de Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, entre junio de 2013 y junio de 2015. Se realizó entrevista para recolección de datos sociodemográficos, profesionales, antecedentes personales, hábitos y estilos de vida y condiciones de salud. Fueron realizadas medida de la circunferencia de la cintura, peso, altura, presión arterial casual y Monitoreo Ambulatorio de Presión Arterial, además de la glucemia plasmática de ayuno, triglicéridos y lipoproteína de alta densidad. Se evaluó el síndrome metabólico de acuerdo con la I Directriz Brasileña de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento del Síndrome Metabólico. Fue realizada Regresión de Poisson con varianza robusta, siendo la presencia del síndrome metabólico, o no, el resultado. Resultados: la prevalencia del síndrome metabólico fue de 25,1% y esta condición se asoció al mayor tiempo de formación profesional (4,0%; IC95%:1,05-1,07), a la mayor presión diastólica en elMonitoreo Ambulatorio de Presión Arterial del período de sueño (3,0%; IC95%:1,01-1,05); presencia de sobrepeso (2,84%; IC95%:1,93-6,70) y obesidad (4,94%; IC95%:2,08-11,77). Conclusiones: se observó alta prevalencia del síndrome metabólico en los profesionales evaluados, y asociación con exceso de peso y alteración de la presión en el período de sueño. Los resultados señalan la necesidad de intervenciones para el control de factores de riesgo para enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles en la población estudiada.

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and associated factors in nursing professionals working in oncology. Method: cross-sectional study with 231 nursing professionals from a high complexity oncology center in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between June 2013 and June 2015. An interview was carried out to collect sociodemographic, professional, personal history, habits and lifestyles, and health conditions data. Waist circumference, weight, height, casual blood pressure, and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring were performed, in addition to fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein. Metabolic syndrome was evaluated according to the I Brazilian Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome. Poisson regression with robust variance was performed, the outcome being the presence or not of metabolic syndrome. Results: there was a 25.1% prevalence of metabolic syndrome and this condition was associated with longer professional training (4.0%; 95%CI: 1.05-1.07), with higher diastolic pressure in Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring during sleep (3.0%; 95%CI:1.01-1.05), overweight (2.84%; 95%CI:1.93-6.70), and obesity (4.94%; IC95%: 2.08-11.77). Conclusions: there was a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the evaluated professionals, and an association between excess weight and changes in pressure during sleep. The results point to the need for interventions to control risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases in the studied population.

[Place of coordination of complex pathways in oncology by coordinating private nurses]. / Place d'une coordination de parcours complexes en cancérologie par des infirmiers libéraux coordinateurs.

BACKGROUND: The complexity of the hospital-city care pathway is a real challenge because of the lack of coordination and communication between many stakeholders. As part of a call for projects from the General Directorate of Healthcare Provision, an experiment involving private oncology coordinating nurses was developed to address this issue. To our knowledge, there is no evaluation so far of such a protocol . METHODS: This single-center retrospective study focused on data from the ONC'IDEC program between 2015 and 2018, where 28 private nurses provided a 24/7 hotline. The objective was to qualitatively assess the coordination of this system. The nature and number of calls, patient satisfaction and medico-economic parameters were assessed. RESULTS: More than a hundred patients (n=114) were included in this device (mean age: 72 ± 12 years). The most frequent reasons for calls concerned the patient's general condition (35 %) and home treatment follow-ups (13 %) but also referrals to the primary doctor (4 %), which helped avoiding hospitalizations. The patients were satisfied with the experiment (overall score of 8.4/10). DISCUSSION: Thanks to the ONC'IDEC program, patients were able to benefit from more appropriate care through a privileged interlocutor by making their care pathway more fluid and avoiding hospitalizations. It would be interesting to confirm these results by means of a study with a higher level of evidence, by comparing this protocol to conventional hospital coordination.

Championing eHealth in Clinical Care.

Since 1959, the rate of technological advancements, which has been buoyed by the evolution of microprocessors that stimulate innovation, has grown exponentially, doubling every 12 to 18 months (Roser & Ritchie, 2020). In 2020, it is impossible to walk down the street without seeing people checking their smartphones. However, it was only four decades ago that the personal computer was first introduced into the marketplace. It has been a little more than a decade since the first smartphone-the iPhone by Apple-was released in 2007, followed by the release of the iPad in 2010 (Zimmermann, 2017). As of 2019, an estimated 269 million people in the United States use smartphones (Holst, 2019). Increased technological advancements, as well as the widespread availability of these technologies and their application to Americans' daily lives, have become the norm. In the clinical nursing care of patients with cancer, the use of technology is also gaining momentum. This supplement to the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing explores how technology in health care can extend and enhance clinical oncology nursing care.

Access to Care: Using eHealth to Limit Location-Based Barriers for Patients With Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Rural and urban communities may encounter barriers to care, which can lead to delays in timely screening, diagnosis, and treatment. eHealth interventions, such as televisits and remote patient monitoring, are being used increasingly to improve patient access to quality clinical cancer care and to support patient-provider communication. OBJECTIVES: This article describes how eHealth can bridge gaps in patient access to cancer care and provides insight into successful eHealth program implementation. METHODS: Articles that evaluate access to care and eHealth program implementation were summarized. Two case studies illustrate eHealth as a strategy to improve care delivery and access. FINDINGS: Integrating eHealth into clinical practice can help to transform care delivery and improve patient access to quality cancer care by limiting barriers.

Supportive Care and eHealth: A Narrative Review of Technologies, Interventions, and Opportunities for Optimizing Care in Patients With Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer can be distressing for patients and families. eHealth interventions have the potential to lessen this distress by creating opportunities for providing supportive care resources to patients at home. OBJECTIVES: This article reviews supportive care eHealth interventions in cancer and emerging opportunities to optimize these interventions for diverse populations across the cancer trajectory. METHODS: A narrative literature review was conducted to evaluate eHealth supportive care for patients with cancer, including effective interventions, accessibility and interactivity issues, patient-reported outcomes, and strategies to improve care for older adults. FINDINGS: To ensure that patients with cancer and their family members benefit from supportive care eHealth interventions, nurses need to understand how to leverage such interventions to improve care.

Advocacy: The Pivotal Role of Oncology Nurses.

Advocacy, an important component of nursing professional practice, is pivotal to ensuring that nurses' experience and insight influence public policy. Understanding how to become engaged and receive training to inform that process can support nurses' professional development. Such engagement ensures that nurses' unique insights inform the policies that affect patient care and professional practice in oncology and beyond.

Research Agenda of the Oncology Nursing Society: 2019-2022 (Executive Summary).

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) is committed to promoting excellence in oncology nursing and quality cancer care. In keeping with this mission, since 2001, ONS has prepared and disseminated a national Research Agenda. The ONS Research Agenda serves to identify gaps in the knowledge base needed to deliver quality cancer nursing care to patients and families, articulate priorities for research, and delineate critical areas for funding consideration by funding agencies. A multimethod, iterative, consensus-building process that consisted of expert opinion, literature review, surveys, focus groups, town halls, and review of research priorities from other professional organizations and funding agencies was used to identify contemporary research priorities and to update the Research Agenda.

Research Agenda of the Oncology Nursing Society: 2019-2022.

PROBLEM STATEMENT: To define the Oncology Nursing Society Research Agenda for 2019-2022. DESIGN: Multimethod, consensus-building approach by members of the Research Agenda Project Team. DATA SOURCES: Expert opinion, literature review, surveys, interviews, focus groups, town hall, and review of research priorities from other cancer care organizations and funding agencies. ANALYSIS: Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to synthesize research priority themes that emerged. FINDINGS: Three priority areas for scientific development were identified. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The Research Agenda can be used to focus oncology nurses' research, scholarship, leadership, and health policy efforts to advance quality cancer care, inform research funding priorities, and align initiatives and resources across the ONS enterprise.

EPOCK study protocol: a mixed-methods research program evaluating cancer care coordination nursing occupations in France as a complex intervention.

BACKGROUND: Facing the increasing cancer incidence and cancer survivorship, many national strategic cancer plans have identified cancer care coordination as a priority for health service improvement. However, the high variability of practices, the diversity of definitions and underlying concepts increases the existing difficulty to standardise, replicate, transpose and assess care coordination within the French health system context. The EPOCK national study aims at evaluating practices and the working context of hospital-based cancer care coordination nurses, based on a previously designed reference framework for care coordination within the French health system context. METHODS: EPOCK is based on a comprehensive evaluation of nursing professions in cancer care coordination, considered as a complex intervention. Phase 1 (theoretical phase) will define and design a theoretical reference framework for care coordination in France through an international literature review, aiming to identify relevant models and all components of the expected framework and a structured consensus method, the Nominal group technique, aiming to select and prioritise the most relevant components already found in the literature review with regard to the French healthcare system; phase 2 (Operational phase) will consist in an in-depth analysis of practices, contexts, perceptions and attitudes related to care coordination occupations by nurses in oncology and all stakeholders (related professionals, patients and their caregivers) through a multicentric cross-sectional mixed-method evaluative study. The observed practices and contexts will be finally compared with the theoretical reference framework using both inductive and deductive approaches. DISCUSSION: This study will result in an evaluation framework identifying key models and key elements relative to cancer care coordination interventions that can be used to guide management of cancer care coordination nursing occupations within the French healthcare system. EPOCK would also assist in public decision-making to identify optimal targets, skills profiles and scope of actions for cancer coordination professions. Finally, EPOCK will describe typology of nurse practices in cancer care coordination and thus obtain precise preliminary information essential for drafting a medico-economic evaluation study of these new nursing professions' impact. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrial.gov registration: NCT03350776 , 11/22/2017.

Recommendations by the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy, the Spanish Society of Oncology Nursing and the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology for the safe management of antineoplastic medication in cancer patients.

AIM: To define recommendations that permit safe management of antineoplastic medication, minimise medication errors and improve the safety of cancer patients undergoing treatment. METHODS: By reviewing the literature and consulting the websites of various health organisations and agencies, an expert committee from the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy and the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology defined a set of safe practices covering all stages of providing cancer therapy to patients. The Spanish Society of Oncology Nursing revised and endorsed the final list. RESULTS: In total, 68 recommendations arranged in five sections were defined. They include issues concerning the training of health professionals, the technological resources needed, treatment planning, informing the patient and his/her family, the processes of prescribing, preparing, dispensing and administering cancer therapy (orally, parenterally or intrathecally), assessing patient adherence and treatment toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: It is essential for healthcare establishments to implement specific measures designed to prevent medication errors, in order to ensure the safety of cancer patients treated with antineoplastic medication.

Perfill de pacientes con cáncer en un centro de oncología en Bogotá / Profile of Cancer Patients at an Oncology Center in Bogotá / Perfil de pacientes com câncer em um centro de oncologia em Bogotá

Introducción: La experiencia de vivir con un cáncer repercute significativamente en la vida, pues afecta todo el ser, lo que demanda de enfermería comprender las características del cuidado de las personas y de sus seres queridos para poderlo cuidar. Objetivo: Describir y comparar la caracterización para el cuidado de los pacientes con cáncer. Método: Estudio descriptivo comparativo realizado con 131 pacientes con cáncer atendidos en tres servicios oncológicos, determinando el perfil sociodemográfico, la carga percibida y la apropiación de las tecnologías para el cuidado. El análisis se realizó utilizando estadística descriptiva, la comparación con prueba chi cuadrado y de Kruskal-Wallis. Resultados: Predomina el género femenino, edad promedio de 54 años (DE: 17,4), baja dependencia y estado cognitivo intacto, baja escolaridad, falta de ocupación laboral, nivel socioeconómico bajo y alto nivel de apoyo familiar. La percepción de bienestar es positiva en el aspecto físico, social y espiritual, para la mayoría. La apropiación de las tecnologías es media. Excepto por algunas variaciones, los pacientes presentan condiciones comunes para el cuidado. Conclusión: Los pacientes perciben apoyo, en especial familiar, bienestar físico, social y espiritual, excepto psicológico, lo que permite planear un cuidado de enfermería que garantice mejor acceso, seguridad y continuidad.

Introduction: The experience of living with cancer impacts significantly the life as it affects the whole being. In the nursing practice all this demands to understand the care characteristics of people living with cancer and their beloved ones in order to be able to care them. Objective: To describe and compare the characterization of care for cancer patients. Method: This is a comparative descriptive study conducted using 131 cancer patients who received health care in three oncologic services; it is intended to determine the sociodemographic profile, the measured load and the appropriation of care technologies. The analysis was carried out by using descriptive statistics and comparisons based on chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: Most of the patients were women with an average age of 54 years (SD: 17.4); they showed low drug-dependence, intact cognitive condition, and low schooling levels; many of them lacked a job and had a low socio-economic status but with strong family support. The well-being perception was positive regarding the physical, social, and spiritual aspects for most of the patients. There was a mean appropriation of technologies. Except for some variations, the patients show some conditions requiring a common care. Conclusion: Patients perceive support, especially from their families, with physical, social and spiritual wellbeing, but not psychological well-being. This allows to plan the nursing care so as to ensure a better access, safety and continuity.

Introdução: A experiência de conviver com cancro afeta significativamente a vida, pois magoa o ser tudo, e isso demanda da enfermagem compreender as carateristicas do cuidado das pessoas e seus seres queridos para puderem cuidá-los. Objetivo: Descrever e comparar a caracterização para o atendimento de pacientes com cancro. Método: Estudo descritivo comparativo realizado com 131 pacientes com cancro atendidos em três serviços oncológicos, determinando o perfil sociodemográfico, a sobrecarga percebida e a apropriação das tecnologias para o cuidado. A análise foi feita mediante estatística descritiva, a comparação com teste qui-quadrado e de Kruskal-Wallis. Resultados: Predomina o género feminino, idade média de 54 anos (SD: 17,4), baixa dependência e estado cognitivo intacto, baixa escolaridade, falta de ocupação laborai, baixas rendas e alto nível de apoio familiar. A percepção de bem-estar é positiva no aspecto físico, social e espiritual, para a maioria. A apropriação das tecnologias é média. Com exceção de algumas variações, os pacientes apresentam condições comuns para o cuidado. Conclusão: Os pacientes percebem apoio, em especial familiar, bem-estar físico, social e espiritual, exceto psicológico, o que permite planejar um cuidado de enfermagem garantindo melhor acesso, segurança e continuidade.

Financial Toxicity: Limitations and Challenges When Caring for Older Adult Patients With Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Financial toxicity refers to the unintended financial consequences and distress that patients and families can incur during treatment of cancer. Financial issues can add further stress to an already stressful situation. OBJECTIVES: This article aims to increase awareness of the financial burden of cancer treatment in older adults with cancer and its effect on health-related quality of life for patients and their families and to increase knowledge of institutional and community resources to help patients manage financial concerns. METHODS: A literature search was performed to investigate the burden of financial toxicity on older adults with cancer. FINDINGS: High levels of financial burden have been linked to lower adherence to cancer treatments, shorter survival, poorer prognosis, and greater risk of recurrence. Older adults are particularly vulnerable and more likely to experience financial toxicity. Incorporating discussions about financial burden and exploring options to defray costs are key components of quality and patient-centered care.

Care Coordination: Overcoming Barriers to Improve Outcomes for Patients With Hematologic Malignancies in Rural Settings.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with cancer experience financial, emotional, and logistical barriers to care that significantly affect their adherence to and successful completion of treatment. However, patients with hematologic malignancies, particularly those who live in rural settings, must also contend with additional challenges. OBJECTIVES: This article aims to synthesize the literature about barriers to timely access to care and to coordination of this care for patients with hematologic malignancies, particularly those in rural settings, as well as identify strategies to improve cancer care delivery for those patients. METHODS: A search of the literature from 2008-2018 pertaining to rural health disparities for patients with hematologic malignancies, along with ways to overcome these disparities, was conducted. FINDINGS: Patients with hematologic malignancies, particularly those who reside in rural settings, face complex barriers to care. These barriers cause emotional and physical distress. A team approach to care coordination that is focused on eliminating these barriers and improving outcomes is needed.

Social Inequalities in Palliative Care for Cancer Patients in the United States: A Structured Review.

OBJECTIVES: To identify patterns of access to and use or provision of palliative care services in medically underserved and vulnerable groups diagnosed with cancer. DATA SOURCES: Google Scholar, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science were searched to identify peer-reviewed studies that described palliative care in medically underserved or vulnerable populations diagnosed with cancer. CONCLUSION: Disparities in both access and referral to palliative care are evident in many underserved groups. There is evidence that some groups received poorer quality of such care. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Achieving health equity in access to and receipt of quality palliative care requires prioritization of this area in clinical practice and in research funding.

Building A High Quality Oncology Nursing Workforce Through Lifelong Learning: The De Souza Model.

AbstractCancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Along with increased new cases, cancer care has become increasingly complex due to advances in diagnostics and treatments, greater survival, and new models of palliative care. Nurses are a critical resource for cancer patients and their families. Their roles and responsibilities are expanding across the cancer care continuum, calling for specialized training and support. Formal education prepares nurses for entry level of practice, however, it does not provide the specialized competencies required for quality care of cancer patients. There is urgent need to align the educational system to the demands of the health care system, ease transition from formal academic systems to care settings, and to instill a philosophy of lifelong learning. We describe a model of education developed by de Souza Institute in Canada, based on the Novice to Expert specialty training framework, and its success in offering structured oncology continuing education training to nurses, from undergraduate levels to continued career development in the clinical setting. This model may have global relevance, given the challenge in managing the demand for high quality care in all disease areas and in keeping pace with the emerging advances in technologies.

Focus on Communities.

The opportunity for oncology nursing to have a broader influence in clinical care has never been more in sync with the times, buoyed by breakthroughs in diagnostics, precision treatments, and broader applications of interprofessional care. However, that influence is still encumbered by inequities in cancer care delivery to marginalized or underserved patients here in the United States and globally.

Supportive Care Needs and Association With Quality of Life of Mexican Adults With Solid Cancers.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer have supportive care needs. Studies that analyze the relationship between supportive care needs and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are scarce. Cultural differences in supportive care needs and perceived QoL are also worth analyzing. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the association between supportive care needs and HRQoL of Mexican adults given a diagnosis of solid cancers. METHODS: We performed a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey of 825 adult patients with cancer treated at the Oncology Hospital of the Mexican Institute of Social Security. The QLQ-30 from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer served to measure HRQoL, and the Supportive Care Needs Questionnaire was used to ascertain the needs. The analysis included multiple linear regression models for each HRQoL domain controlled for demographic, clinical, and social support covariates. RESULTS: There was an association between psychological needs with low scores in the HRQoL domains of global health, emotional functioning, and increased fatigue. Physical and daily living needs were associated with most HRQoL domains except the emotional domain. Patient care needs were related to low scores in the emotional and social functioning domains. Health systems and information needs were associated with low scores on cognitive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Physical, psychological, patient care, and informational needs were associated with decreased HRQoL of Mexican patients with cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Healthcare providers, including nurses, are encouraged to perform routine, comprehensive evaluations of the supportive care needs and HRQoL of patients with solid cancers to respond in a timely manner to their needs.