A survey of nurses' experience integrating oncology clinical and academic worlds

Abstract

Historically, a gap between theory and practice has existed in the nursing profession, while, at the same time, academic institutions have actively sought to recruit nurses from practice into academic roles (Nardi & Gyurko, 2013). For nurses completing graduate education through Master's or Doctoral programs, the employment options are often situated in either a clinical or academic context, with few roles available that bridge both environments (Gibson, 2019). This often creates challenges for nurses striving to integrate clinical and academic work during and after graduate studies.As members of the Doctoral and Post-doctoral Network of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (Galica et al., 2018), we sought to better understand the experiences of oncology nurses navigating the dualities of clinical and academic worlds. We present findings from a survey of how oncology nurses navigate clinical and academic worlds. We explored how nurses decided to embark on graduate studies and how they navigated the tensions of these two

Models of Clinical Practice Integration in Academic Oncology Nursing

“…and clinical roles in nursing. However, in one qualitative survey study by Haase et al (2021), clinical nurses enrolled in graduate studies reported being better equipped to shape and improve the healthcare system, improve patient care, and grow their knowledge in the oncology nursing discipline. Clinical nurses also described how their understanding of research and the effect it can have on current practices shaped how they educate others.…”

“…They also believed that maintaining a synergy with clinical practice enhanced the future dissemination and uptake of their research into clinical practice in the long-term. Haase et al (2021) concluded that there is growing evidence that integrating clinical practice into academic roles has the potential to enhance patient care, improve the healthcare system, and advance the field of oncology nursing in the long term.…”

“…Dotted lines demonstrate the connection of shared goals among stakeholders including the health system, nursing school, and individual faculty. (Gonzales et al, 2023b;Haase et al, 2021).…”

“…As early-career oncology nurses consider seeking faculty appointments, models for supporting and encouraging an integration of clinical practice, scholarship, and education as part of that appointment are needed to make a career in academia more appealing (Gibson, 2019).Currently, clinical care is not a standard component of nursing faculty appointments, particularly not for didactic teaching and research roles (Paton et al, 2022). For early-career oncology nurses, having a meaningful clinical practice as part of a full-time academic appointment can support professional development, clinical acumen and relevance, and personal satisfaction (Haase et al, 2021).This article reviews the current state of integrated academic appointments and clinical care in oncology nursing, discusses emerging models for this integration, and presents a visual model to support early-career oncology nurses seeking a faculty appointment that supports clinical care as part of that appointment. In addition, this review discusses published benefits and barriers to a combined role for nursing schools and healthcare systems.…”

“…Currently, clinical care is not a standard component of nursing faculty appointments, particularly not for didactic teaching and research roles (Paton et al, 2022). For early-career oncology nurses, having a meaningful clinical practice as part of a full-time academic appointment can support professional development, clinical acumen and relevance, and personal satisfaction (Haase et al, 2021).…”