PAHO /
WHO proposes to implement the
role of Advanced Practice
Nurse (APN) in
Latin America , to reduce gaps in coverage and
access to health care . For this purpose, it is necessary to train
nursing professionals with an expanded
role , which allows them to collaborate in the
diagnosis ,
treatment , and
monitoring of people with specific
diseases , under established
protocols and
clinical guidelines and within consolidated
interdisciplinary health teams in a
cost -effective way. One of the areas with the greatest coverage deficit in
Latin America is
adult oncology, with inequality in care opportunities for these
patients . Part of the
premature deaths attributable to this
disease are due to the lack of access to timely
diagnosis and
treatment . As a contribution to the reduction of this gap, a
training program of Advanced
Nursing Practice was developed, addressing the most urgent
needs in the field of oncology. The necessary competencies were defined to develop a professional-level master's degree program, considering prevention, early
detection ,
diagnosis ,
treatment , and
monitoring of people with oncological
diseases at different levels of care. A program of this kind is an opportunity to reduce the access gap and coverage of
health care for people with
cancer , improving their
quality of life and their
survival .