Congress Abstracts 2005

68

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE AT A COMMUNITY-BASED CANCER CENTER. Dana Inzeo, RN, APRN-BC, MA, AOCN^®, Coleen Bejot, RN, MSN, Arthur De Simone, MD, Sandy Balentine, RN, OCN^®, BBA, and Frances Cartwright, RN, AOCN^®, PhD(c), The Valley Hospital, Paramus, NJ.

Community based ambulatory care centers have become the major setting for delivery of complex care for individuals with cancer. The increased acuity of the oncology patient population and staffing shortages results in the need for the oncology nurse to develop “best evidence” educational models to ensure an optimal standard of care.

The Oncology Professional Education Committee was developed in a community based cancer center affiliated with an accredited community hospital and a university medical center that would ensure the following: (a) education planning based on priority of need, (b) education projects reviewed against “best evidence” criteria, and (c) optimal utilization of staff and funding resources. Representation from the oncology interdisciplinary team in all areas where patients receive care were included.

Several key strategies were implemented: (a) a needs assessment survey completed by all clinical staff in the center, (b) development of an annual educational template based on the needs identified, (c) review of annual educational template with potential funding sources (e.g., pharmaceutical companies), and (d) implementation of educational programs that include a content outline, objectives, evaluation method, qualified speakers and CE application completion.

The annual educational template and development of the educational programs provided a framework to measure outcomes. These outcomes were: (a) increase in available CE approved programs on site, (b) attendance and evaluation from targeted audience, (c) increased funding for planned programs, (d) reporting of outcome measures achieved from this new program to performance improvement committee, cancer committee, leadership committee and administration.

An interdisciplinary team developed and began implementing a “best practice” educational template. The members of this team enthusiastically developed and presented educational programs. As a result of this initial effort by the participants, a mentorship team was developed to mentor participants in preparing aspects of these programs for presentations, publications, abstract submission and development of research projects. Through education and support for evidenced-based research projects, the oncology nurse can translate the “best evidence” into quality patient care.