ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals face mental and physical health disparities. Fear of discrimination and organizational care incompetency promotes avoidance of care and nondisclosure of sexual orientation and gender identity. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the outcomes of cultural competency training for interprofessional staff to foster safe and inclusive LGBTQ cancer care and address this population's care needs. METHODS: One-hour cultural competency training focused on assessing bias, increasing health knowledge, and creating a safe environment. Fifteen sessions trained 110 participants. Pre- and post-training surveys evaluated staff's LGBTQ health knowledge and cultural competency self-efficacy. FINDINGS: Staff were significantly more likely to agree with the following statements post-training.
Subject(s)
Neoplasms , Sexual and Gender Minorities , Transgender Persons , Cultural Competency , Female , Gender Identity , Humans , Male , Neoplasms/therapy , Sexual BehaviorABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate an interactive electronic Cancer Survivorship Patient Engagement Toolkit (CaS-PET) using a single-group pre-/post-test design. SAMPLE & SETTING: 30 cancer survivors with a mean age of 56.5 years (SD = 13.6) were recruited from the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. METHODS & VARIABLES: CaS-PET was designed to deliver survivorship care plans (SCPs) with multifactorial support and comprised of SCPs, biweekly follow-up using patient portal e-messages, and online resources. Outcomes included health-related quality of life, symptom burden, impact of cancer, fear of recurrence, physical activities, dietary behavior, patient-provider communication, adherence to treatment, and e-health literacy. RESULTS: At three months, there was a significant improvement in quality of life, physical symptom burden, and total symptom burden. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Findings suggest an excellent potential for using CaS-PET for survivors who are in transition from treatment to survivorship.
Subject(s)
Cancer Survivors , Education, Distance , Patient Education as Topic , Patient Participation , Survivorship , Anxiety , Attitude to Health , Audiovisual Aids , Cancer Survivors/psychology , Depression , Disease Management , Fear , Health Literacy , Humans , Middle Aged , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Patient Compliance , Patient Portals , Pilot Projects , Professional-Patient Relations , Quality of Life , Symptom AssessmentABSTRACT
The first fatal incident of wrong-route administration of vinca alkaloids occurred in 1968. Initial recommendations for practice change occurred in 2005. In 2012, 54% of oncology treatment sites had changed their practice. The authors' institution has developed a safe, adaptable, and consistent process to prepare, deliver, and administer vinca alkaloids by means of a minibag delivery. A multidisciplinary team, including representatives from the nursing and pharmacy departments, reviewed the literature and developed all processes, including staff education. Minibag administration began in August 2015, and more than 2063 doses have been administered without any extravasations. To date, the simulation strategy for education is effective, and the delivery system is safe.
