Introduction: As part of the Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program, 100 new cancer nurse positions will be placed through the McGrath Cancer Care Nurse (MCCN) Program from 2025-2027. MCCNs commence these roles with diverse qualifications, skills and experience. A recently developed Onboarding Pathway for McGrath Breast Care Nurses was modified and expanded to create an efficient and customisable onboarding experience for new MCCNs that accommodates individual learning needs across all cancer types.
Methods: A working group of cancer nurses, educators, peak body representatives, administrators and educational technologists designed, developed and tested the tasks and milestones that made up each onboarding pathway. Collaborations with key cancer education providers were formed to map and source existing evidence-based education content for inclusion in the pathways. Each pathway was designed to build the confidence and capability of nurses over time and connect them to the services and resources required to provide optimal care. An implementation evaluation of the onboarding program including pre- and post- nursing skills measures and real-time feedback will commence in October 2024 and inform an iterative approach to improvement.
Results: Two pathways were developed – 1. Associate MCCN pathway - for nurses new to specialist cancer nurse roles, not yet post-graduate qualified (18 months duration); 2. MCCN Pathway – for nurses who are post-graduate qualified and experienced in specialist cancer nursing (12 months duration). Each pathway consists of a combination of administrative and learning tasks including post-graduate study within the Associate MCCN pathway. Within each pathway, digital program logic empowers nurses to self-direct their learning and guide them through each milestone efficiently.
Conclusion: The pathways ensure new MCCNs receive the required learning and support to deliver care, while creating efficiencies in the MCCN Program. The use of digital onboarding pathways allows for standardised preparation of the workforce across the country.