Congress Abstracts 2006

78

SUSTAINING A SUCCESSFUL EDUCATIONAL CONSORTIUM: THE PUGET SOUND ONCOLOGY NURSING EDUCATION COOPERATIVE. Mihkaila Wickline, RN, MN, AOCN^®, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA.

Oncology nursing relies upon knowledge of cancer pathophysiology, treatment modalities and symptom management. Providing didactic education to nurses new to oncology can be challenging. The consortium model has gained popularity as individual institutions are realizing the cost-effectiveness of utilizing the combined expertise, time and resources of multiple institutions to provide staff education. Fourteen nursing leaders formed the Puget Sound Oncology Nursing Education Cooperative (PSONEC) in 1998 to address basic oncology nursing education. The group has worked together over the past eight years to execute the Fundamentals of Oncology Nursing course 13 times.

The primary purpose of the PSONEC is to offer the Fundamentals of Oncology Nursing course. To accomplish this effort, the cooperative has relied upon a structured program for ensuring member commitment and shared labor.

Current membership includes representatives from area hospitals, clinics and industry. Members sign a "Letter of Agreement" which outlines membership requirements and benefits of membership. The delegate attends a minimum of 75% of Advisory Committee meetings, provides two "major services" (such as hosting the course at their institution, managing registration and/or providing or sponsoring a lecture for the course) and attends a minimum of 4 hours of the 32-hour course. Member institutions may send nurses to the course without charge.

All 17 current members are active in ensuring the success of the cooperative's biannual course and report devoting an average of 8.5 hours per month to cooperative duties. The cooperative provides: 1) sharing of expertise of oncology advanced practice nurses, 2) a reduction of duplicate efforts, 3) a community standard for oncology education, 4) cost-effectiveness, 5) broader access to quality education and 6) networking opportunities.

The PSONEC is a successful model for delivering basic oncology education due to the commitment of its membership and the structure of the group. In light of the current cost containment activities affecting all health care institutions, an effort to share oncology education resources, including educators, materials and support services, is advantageous. This model could be adapted for use in other communities where there is a desire to increase the quality and decrease the cost of basic oncology nursing education.