Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Defining Capabilities for Nurses to Provide Quality Cancer Survivorship Care in Australia: A Modified Delphi Approach (#445)

Gemma McErlean 1 2 , Raymond Chan 3 , Heidi Hui 2 , Fiona Crawford-Williams 3 , Nicolas Hart 4 , Thomas Walwyn 5 , Mahesh Iddawela 6 , Rebecca McIntosh 7 , Mei Krishnasamy 8 , Bogda Koczwara 3 , Michael Jefford 7
  1. University of Wollongong, Wollongong
  2. St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia
  3. Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  4. University of Technology Sydney, Sydney
  5. Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
  6. Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  7. Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  8. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoroia, Australia

Aim

Nurses play an important role in the care of cancer survivors. This study aimed to establish capabilities required for nurses to deliver quality cancer survivorship care in Australia.

Methods

A two-round online modified Delphi method, involving Australian cancer nurses, was used. Initial domains and capability items were based on the Quality of Cancer Survivorship Care Framework (Nekhlyudov, 2019) and supplemented by national and international nursing frameworks. In Round 1 (R1), experts categorised 53 capability items according to the National Professional Development Framework for Cancer Nursing (EdCaN) nurse groups of ‘all’, ‘many’, ‘some’, ‘few’ nurses, or not relevant. In Round 2 (R2), experts rated their agreement with these assignments. Respondents could comment on each item in both rounds, and consensus was achieved at 80%.

Results

Surveys were distributed to 51 experts, with a response rate of 92% (47/51) for R1 and 75% (38/51) for R2. Experts had 1 – 15 years’ experience in cancer survivorship, cared for all age groups (paediatric to geriatrics), worked across the healthcare sector (primary to quaternary care) and 55% had a Masters degree. The 8 domains reviewed included prevention and surveillance for recurrence and new cancers, surveillance and management of physical and psychosocial effects, surveillance and management of chronic medical conditions, health promotion, communication, decision-making, care coordination, and survivor/carer experience. Respondents proposed separating several capabilities in R1, and reworded some for clarity, resulting in 10 new items for R2. In R2, 63 capabilities were presented, with all but 2 reaching consensus. These items moved from ‘many’ to ‘few’ based on free text comments.

Conclusions

This study mapped 63 survivorship capabilities applicable to ‘all’, ‘many’, ‘some’ or ‘few’ Australian cancer nurses. This provides important foundational work to support greater involvement, training, and role clarity of cancer nurses in the care of cancer survivors across Australia.

  1. Nekhlyudov L, Mollica MA, Jacobsen PB, Mayer DK, Shulman LN, Geiger AM. Developing a quality of cancer survivorship care framework: implications for clinical care, research, and policy. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2019 Nov 1;111(11):1120-30.