Baccalaureate-linked oncology nursing education: McMaster University’s Paediatric and Adult Oncology Nursing Program

Abstract

For new nursing graduates prepared as generalists, the transition from student to graduate and from new generalist graduate to experienced specialized nurse can be very anxiety-provoking. This paper discusses one program, the Oncology Nursing Program, McMaster University, designed for nurses working along the cancer continuum. Proposed by oncology nurses seeking baccalaureate-linked specialty education, the year-long program has now been in existence for 10 years. A cadre of nearly 200 graduates affirm that specialized education influences direct patient care, health care team membership, professional and personal development.

An Ethical Practice Intervention Program for Pediatric Nurses with Varied Nursing Experience

“…According to this author, nurses who lack support plot their own career paths in the early stages of transition, based on their past experience [17]. Love (2005) describes specialized postgraduate education for pediatric oncology nursing and adult oncology nursing at McMaster University in the USA, linked with bachelor's education for generalist nurses. Nurses who have completed their generalist nursing education have raised concerns about their degree of specialization in cases where they work with cancer patients and their families, raising the necessity of the provision of specialist education through collaboration with universities.…”

“…The USA faces an imminent nurse shortage, and it will soon be necessary for healthcare providers to employ more generalist nurses alongside those in other specialist areas, and this necessitates the identification, intervention and evaluation of issues related to cross-professional and cross-disciplinary collaboration and nursing career transition. In this regard, Runton and Toth (1998) developed a tool to assess basic knowledge of clinical pediatric nursing (PEDS-BKAT) to inform the reallocation of entry-level nurses and experienced nurses to pediatric ICUs [18] [19]. While several studies distinguish between pediatric and adult nursing, generalist nurses are required in certain cases, for example when healthcare system reform is implemented to address social and economic inequalities, or when there is a nurse shortage.…”

Révision d’un cours d’oncologie de premier cycle en sciences infirmières à l’aide du processus d’évaluation des programmes de Taylor

“…conteXte E n 2017, environ 206 200 nouveaux cas de cancer ont été diagnostiqués au Canada, et 80 800 patients sont décédés des suites de la maladie (Comité consultatif des statistiques canadiennes sur le cancer, 2017); il faut donc manifestement préparer les infirmières à prodiguer les soins nécessaires aux patients atteints de cancer. Au Canada, la formation spécialisée en oncologie s'acquiert habituellement par orientation et apprentissage en milieu de travail et grâce à des programmes de formation continue que les infirmières suivent après l'obtention de leur baccalauréat (ACIO, 2015;Love, 2005). Mais même les infirmières nouvellement diplômées ou n'ayant aucune formation spécialisée en oncologie devront soigner des patients atteints de cancer dans différents milieux cliniques (Lockhart et al, 2013).…”

Revision of an undergraduate nursing oncology course using the Taylor Curriculum Review Process

“…BAcKGrounD W ith an estimated 206,200 newly diagnosed cases and 80,800 deaths from cancer in Canada in 2017 (Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee, 2017), it is evident that there is a demand to prepare our nursing workforce to meet the healthcare needs of cancer patients. Specialized oncology nursing education in Canada is typically offered through worksite orientation, apprenticeship, and continuing education programs following undergraduate education (CANO, 2015;Love, 2005). However, new nursing graduates and nurses without specialized oncology education will be required to provide care for cancer patients in various clinical settings (Lockhart et al, 2013).…”