Congress Abstracts 2003

80

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PATIENT AND FAMILY EDUCATION COORDINATOR ROLE FOR HOSPITALIZED ONCOLOGY PATIENTS. Tina G. Ban, RN, OCN®, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL.

There is an emergent need for increased patient and family education in the oncology population. This trend has occurred as a result of system related changes such as the increasing acuity of hospitalized patients and the availability of health information to the average consumer. This poster presentation will review the contributing factors of, and the steps taken by the oncology division of a large midwestern medical center to meet this increased demand for specialized patient education. The primary intervention of the medical center was to create and implement the role of patient and family education coordinator for oncology services. The PFEC’s essential functions include: a) Assess the educational needs of patients/families with new diagnoses, low literacy, language barriers..., b) Plan education based on identified learning needs with consideration to educational, cultural, and religious background, c) Oversee unit-based educational resources (written, audiovisual, and computer), d) Assist APN with implementation of “Education at the Bedside” project, e) Provide staff education related to resources available, principles of adult learning,..., and f) Coordinate and/or conduct “Essentials...for Living with Cancer” classes. The class evaluations completed by patients/families and verbal feedback from the staff indicate that the PFEC serves as an integral member of the interdisciplinary team.