Congress Abstracts 2006

245

BUILDING A COLLABORATIVE NURSING PRACTICE TO PROMOTE PATIENT EDUCATION: AN INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT PARTNERSHIP. Kristin Negley, MS, RN, AOCNS, Sheryl Ness, MA, RN, Janine Kokal, MS, RN, Kelli Fee-Schroeder, BSN, RN, Jeanne Voll, MS, RN, Chris Hunter, AD, RN, and Kristi Klein, BSN, RN, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Oncology nursing staff, in a large Midwestern medical facility, identified that patient education for oncology patients can be incomplete or duplicative between the inpatient & outpatient practices. Although excellent patient education is provided in both settings, the messages taught are unknown between practice areas without extensive chart review. Developing a formal partnership that promotes communication and consistent information and education helps to assure standards of care are congruent between these two settings.

The purpose of this project was to build a collaborative nursing practice between inpatient and outpatient practice settings that promotes a seamless, integrated process of meeting the educational needs of oncology patients and families, along with providing a unique opportunity to enhance oncology nurse’s professional development.

Two inpatient nurses, partnered with oncology nurse educators, worked one day every two weeks for three months in an outpatient Cancer Education Center interacting with cancer patients and families, teaching classes, and working on specific projects. In addition to promoting available educational materials, the nurse educators focused on professional development skills such as learning theories and education competencies, formal presentations, teaching strategies, and individual and group patient education interactions. The inpatient nurses provided the unique clinical knowledge and expertise of bedside nursing to the outpatient education practice.

An extensive evaluation, utilizing Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation, was conducted to assess collaborative practice, staff development, and nursing job satisfaction. Evaluation was completed by written assessment and oral interviews pre and post project with nurse participants, nurse educators, and nurse managers (post only). Participants were also asked to keep anecdotal comments of patient encounters.

The evaluation showed positive results with themes including: increased collaboration and communication between practices; increased awareness and application of educational materials; enhancement of professional development skills; and the provision of seamless, integrated care. This collaboration project has started a direct communication process between the Cancer Education Program and the inpatient oncology nurses with future projects in process. Collaboration between nurses is important but infrequently documented in literature. This project, though small scale, resulted in nursing collaboration with high impact outcomes of positively affecting nursing knowledge and patient care.