Preparing Oncology Advanced Practice Nurses as Generalists in Palliative Care

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This R25 application supports an innovative skills development program to educate the current nursing workforce to meet the nation's need for palliative care in oncology. By utilizing a skills-based innovative program to educate Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), this proposal will equip and expand the nursing workforce to meet a critical need for palliative care in oncology. The Specific Aims are: Specific Aim 1: Adapt the ELNEC (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium) Advanced Practice Nursing curriculum to train oncology nurses as generalist palliative care providers and leaders. Specific Aim 2: Deliver the curriculum in national workshops to competitively selected oncology APRNs from National Cancer Institute-designated clinical and comprehensive cancer centers, as well as community cancer centers. Specific Aim 3: Evaluate the impact of the curriculum by measuring the process and outcomes of participants' integrating the training to advance palliative care practices at their institutions. Specific Aim 4: Disseminate findings through peer-reviewed publications, oncology organizations, and professional networks, and develop a network of course participants to share experiences in integrating palliative care at participating cancer centers. Over the last 15 years, rigorous research has amassed a body of evidence documenting palliative care benefits for cancer patients and their families and identifying opportunities to improve cancer patient care. Despite proven benefits, there is often no system in place to provide concurrent palliative and oncology care and cancer patients often decline palliative care, even when it is available. Previous systematic reviews have highlighted the need to train oncology professionals to deliver palliative care. This innovative program focuses on APRNs in cancer centers, who are models of leadership and best care available for patients. These nurses can serve as palliative care generalists to collaborate with specialty palliative care. A total of 500 participants from cancer centers will participate in one of five courses.