The Design And Development Of an Individualised Training Program For Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) Nursing Incorporating Remote And Onsite Learning Experiences During A Pandemic

ABSTRACT

Problem statement Those diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have complex supportive care needs and the Australian Government funded 30 new dedicated MBC nurse roles across Australia in 2019 to better meet these needs. A pilot training program was designed to meet the individual learning needs of these nurses to increase their level of expertise in MBC nursing. Initially this program was designed to be delivered in-person, however recurrent COVID-19 restrictions required a change of approach to enable remote participation. Method(s) An expert working group created a curriculum of 20 learning modules addressing key elements of MBC nursing. From these modules a bespoke training program was designed for each participant to address their identified learning needs based on the validated Cancer Nurse Self-Assessment Tool for Metastatic Breast Cancer (CaN-SAT-MBC) and baseline interviews. During the pilot program, four intakes of two nurses (n=8) participated from August 2021 to June 2022. Participants completed a suite of online learning modules, 'attended' a 3-day clinical practicum, and commenced 12 months of bi-monthly clinical supervision for ongoing support. Participants attended the clinical practicum component either in-person or via a telepresence robot. Knowledge, skills and confidence in relation to MBC nursing are being measured by the CaN-SAT-MBC, and learner goals, expectations and experiences are being explored via qualitative interviews at three-time intervals pre-training;post-practicum;and 12 months post-clinical supervision. Result(s) The final results of the evaluation will be available in 2023. It is hypothesised that nurses will report increased knowledge, skills and confidence in the areas of MBC nursing relevant to their identified learning needs following completion of the training program. Furthermore, it is also hypothesised that remote participation using robot technology will offer an equivalent learning experience to in-person training in this current pandemic environment. Conclusion(s) This study will test an individualised and innovative approach to breast cancer nurse education that may be utilised across Australia to upskill nurses in the provision of supportive care to those with MBC. There is potential for wide-spread adoption of robot technology for cancer education across Australia and beyond. Disclosure of interest This project is partially funded by Astra ZenecaCopyright © 2022