Registered Nurses' Perspectives of the Impact of a Post-registration Education Qualification on Patient Care and Clinical Practice in Cancer Care: a Qualitative Study.

Student evaluation of teaching is routinely completed as modules and programmes of study at higher education institutions conclude. The evaluations are often focused on the educational value and experience. For programmes with healthcare professionals as students, the impact of the learning on patient care and clinical practice is not routinely captured in these student evaluations. These insights are crucial as the definitive impact of learning for many educational programmes of study for healthcare professionals is to enhance patient outcomes. The aim of this qualitative research study was to capture the impact of a post-registration Specialist Practice in cancer pathway for registered nurses in the context of Northern Ireland following completion of the programme. Eleven participants engaged in interviews in 2021 who had completed the education programme from 2013 to 2021. Two themes inductively emerged from the data which provided insights into the specific impact of the education programme on patient care and clinical practice. Theme one identified patient outcomes improved, and was related to five sub themes; development of nurse's clinical knowledge; enhanced awareness of the holistic impact of cancer; greater understanding of patient services available; development of clinical networks; and greater decision-making ability. Theme two related to the impact of the qualification on clinical practice through an increase in their professional credibility within the multidisciplinary team in cancer services. The debate on how to capture the impact of education on patient care and clinical practice in cancer care, should consider how to routinely capture this data.

Pilot study to explore the use of mobile spaced learning as a digital learning platform when teaching symptom management to undergraduate nursing students: SPLENdidS study.

BACKGROUND: The management of patients' holistic symptom needs are often complex and challenging. The education needs of undergraduate nursing students must be optimally addressed to have a significant positive impact on patient care. Mobile spaced learning has been recognised as a form of online education which can provide a novel approach to delivering effective evidence based healthcare education to undergraduate students. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this pilot study was to explore the experiences of undergraduate nursing students in a university setting, of using mobile spaced learning as a digital platform for symptom management education. METHOD: This pilot study used a mixed methods approach. Online spaced learning material, which utilised both case based scenarios and multiple choice questions, was delivered to first year undergraduate nursing students over a period of 2 weeks. Participants were then invited to participate in an online survey related to the usability of mobile spaced learning. A focus group was conducted to further explore the participants' views. RESULT: Findings conveyed that students viewed mobile spaced learning as an acceptable platform that enhanced both their learning and their ability to transfer knowledge into clinical practice. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a digital spaced learning intervention would be acceptable to undergraduate nursing students learning about holistic symptom management. Further research is needed to explore the feasibility of implementing this intervention within the undergraduate nursing curriculum, and also to explore the impact on long-term knowledge retention.

Addressing the current challenges of adopting evidence-based practice in nursing.

This aim of this article is to explore the current position of evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing. The article provides an overview of the historical context and emergence of EBP with an outline of the EBP process. There is an exploration of the current challenges facing the nursing profession as it endeavours to adopt EBP into care delivery, along with actions to address these challenges. There will also be a discussion on how to integrate EBP into undergraduate nursing curricula as academic institutions implement the Future nurse standards of proficiency from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Role of the clinical nurse specialist as a non-medical prescriber in managing the palliative care needs of individuals with advanced lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Rapid identification of the palliative care needs of individuals with a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer is crucial to maximise the patient's quality of life by upholding exemplary standards of patient-centred holistic care. The clinical nurse specialist is in an ideal position to contribute to the identification and management of the palliative care needs of individuals with advanced lung cancer through the assessment and timely prescribing of medications to manage distressing symptoms. AIM: This paper reviews and critiques the role of the clinical nurse specialist as an independent non-medical prescriber in the management of palliative symptoms in end-of-life care for patients with advanced lung cancer. RESULTS: Published literature highlights the positive impact the clinical nurse specialist has as a non-medical prescriber in addressing the palliative needs of individuals with lung cancer. However, there are barriers and challenges, and to overcome these, maximising resources and the availability of support is required to ensure the delivery of timely, person-centred care. CONCLUSION: The clinical nurse specialist as a non-medical prescriber is an evolving role. There are a range of factors that may influence the clinical nurse specialist to confidently and competently undertake this role. These include the perception that there will be an escalation in the workload, concerns about increased accountability and inadequate mentoring for this new role. To incentivise this role, multidisciplinary support is essential in promoting the clinical nurse specialist's confidence for developing this service to individuals with advanced lung cancer.

Evaluation of the role of the clinical Nurse Specialist in cancer care: an integrative literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Although there is growing evidence the Clinical Nurse Specialist role makes a difference to patient care, the full value of this service may not be always appreciated with current models not meeting the needs of those with cancer. The primary aim of this integrative literature review was to evaluate outcomes associated with the role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in cancer care. The secondary aim was to identify the components of the Clinical Nurse Specialist role in cancer care from the included papers in the literature review. METHODS: An integrative literature review using a systematic approach was adopted. Literature searches were undertaken in four databases and supplemented with a search in the grey literature and reference lists of included papers. Searches were limited to January 2009-July 2019 and those written in the English language. Three reviewers independently completed the searches and reviewed the papers before reaching a consensus. RESULTS: Fourteen eligible research papers were identified. Evaluations were predominately positive with the role contributing to improving patient outcomes with regards psychological support, information provision, symptom management, service coordination and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The findings of this literature review firmly establish the Clinical Nurse Specialist as a valuable member of the multidisciplinary team in enhancing cancer care services.