BUILDING AN ONGOING ONCOLOGY EDUCATION SERIES TO SUPPORT SPECIALTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION OF STAFF BY LEVERAGING INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE ACROSS A HEALTH SYSTEM

• Published in: Oncology nursing forum Vol. 50; no. 2; pp. B35 - B36
• Main Authors: Reddy, Christin, Engle, Pamela, Rieco, Jaclyn, Maloney, Kristen, Bammer, Dina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pittsburgh Oncology Nursing Society 01.03.2023
• Subjects: Collaboration; Education; Interdisciplinary aspects; Nurses; Oncology; Professional development
• ISSN: 0190-535X; 1538-0688

With the ever-changing management of complex oncology patients, nurses report a desire for focused, easily accessible oncology education to improve their care of oncology patients. Professional oncology organizations increasingly recommend or require ongoing oncology education as expected standards of care. To meet nurses' reported education needs, promote professional development and improve patient care, an ongoing Oncology Education Series was developed to provide on demand learning modules to nurses across a large health system. The Oncology Education Series was created to support nurses' self-reported education needs and professional development through access to up to date, ongoing, asynchronous oncology education. Interdisciplinary collaboration was promoted to leverage expertise across a health system to provide education to nurses in various settings. A steering committee of oncology nurses and interdisciplinary partners was formed to oversee development and dissemination of ongoing oncology education. Topics of education were selected for a twelve-month period through review of a needs assessment sent to nurses throughout the health system. Education development occurred by leveraging interdisciplinary expertise and knowledge of specific topics. Pooling of clinical experts across the health system promoted collaboration between settings and allowed for broader sharing of knowledge from experts in different specialties and settings. Review of module evaluations and launch of a new needs assessment informed topics for following year along with ongoing program development. Since the launch of this program in 2021, 18 modules were created and disseminated with over 1600 completions for Nursing Continuing Professional Development hours. The average overall evaluation of modules has been 4.5 out of 5. Feedback from this program included nurses reporting impact on their practice, as well as support in obtaining or renewing oncology certification. Nurses also shared appreciation for exposure to topics and education beyond their typical setting of care. In the current challenging nursing climate with a myriad of competing demands, high onboarding needs and nurse burnout, collaboration across settings for educational purposes promotes partnerships and allows for leveraging expertise of clinical experts to facilitate sharing of knowledge to a broader audience. Robust ongoing education programs that are easily accessible can provide needed educational support for nurses starting their oncology careers as well as promote engagement and encourage professional advancement for more experienced nurses.