Congress Abstracts 2005

16

ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IN BLOOD AND MARROW TRANSPLANT PATIENT CARE: DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPLANT EDUCATION PROGRAM AS A CHAPTER SPECIAL PROJECT. Natalie D’Itri, RN, MSN, AOCN^®, Kelly Healthcare Resources, Rockville, MD; Sandra Mitchell, CRNP, MScN, AOCN^®, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD; Castro Kathleen, RN, MSN, AOCN^®, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD; Sophia Grasmeder, RN, BSN, OCN^®, Matthews Media Group, Rockville, MD; and Claudia Soho, RN, BSN, OCN^®, CCRP, and Katherina Litschke, RN, MSN, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is considered the best treatment option for many hematologic malignancies. The number of transplants performed each year continues to increase. Although high-dose therapy and the stem cell transplant procedure itself is generally performed in a specialized center, increasingly, the post-transplant hospital stay is shortened and patients receive much of their care in their home community. Recognizing a need for education about the unique needs of HSCT patients and their caregivers in all phases of the HSCT process, the Washington DC chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) developed a Regional Transplant Educational Program (RTEP).

The purpose of RTEP is to educate nurses working in community, outpatient, and home-care settings about the foundational knowledge and needs of patients undergoing HSCT and to address some of the newer trends in transplantation, including reduced intensity conditioning regimens, use of donor lymphocyte infusion, and management of acute and chronic graft versus host disease (Reiss & Bolotin, 2002). Clinical excellence in HSCT nursing requires knowledge of assessment, prevention, and management of common problems encountered at each phase of the transplant process, along with skills in patient education and care coordination.

Prior to developing the structured educational program, a needs assessment was performed among nurses in the community. A Regional Advisory Team, comprised of expert HSCT professionals, was developed to outline course content and assist with program promotion across the region. Marketing strategies focused on reaching nurses in community and smaller practice settings that serve oncology patients.

Anticipated outcomes for RTEP include: Increased knowledge and understanding of HSCT process; enhanced quality of care for HSCT patients in the region; chapter recognition as a community resource for nurses caring for HSCT patients; and increased visibility of ONS, locally and nationally, as a leader in oncology education.

Development of a regional HSCT education program by an ONS chapter has the potential to identify the following: Regional HSCT resources for patients, caregivers, and professionals; needs in the oncology nursing community related to HSCT education; regional nursing leaders in HSCT; and the chapter’s role in developing regional education programs.