Virtual Group Therapy Within a Shared Medical Appointment: Innovative Care Delivery in Behavioral Oncology.

Diagnosing and treating behavioral concerns should be prioritized throughout cancer survivorship. Behavioral health is included in national guidelines for survivorship care, but meeting those needs for a growing population of.

ONS Guidelines™ to Support Patient Adherence to Oral Anticancer Medications.

PURPOSE: This evidence-based guideline intends to support patients, clinicians, and others regarding interventions and processes to support patient adherence to oral anticancer medications (OAMs). METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: A panel of healthcare professionals and patient representatives developed a clinical practice guideline to support patients taking OAMs. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) methodology and criteria for trustworthy guidelines were followed. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. A quantitative or narrative synthesis of the evidence was completed. Certainty of the evidence was assessed using GRADE. FINDINGS: The panel agreed on recommendations and suggested an adherence risk assessment, education addressing adherence, ongoing assessment, proactive follow-up, coaching, and motivational interviewing in addition to usual care. The panel suggested the implementation of a structured OAM program. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: As cancer treatment shifts from clinic to home settings, interventions and programs to support patients on OAMs are needed.

Oncology Nurse Practitioners in Genetics: Examining Scope of Practice and Competence.

Genomic science is rapidly evolving, and ordering germline testing requires appropriate and comprehensive assessment of a patient's personal and family history, as well as the knowledge base to facilitate selection of the best test or panel of tests, provision of pretest counseling for informed consent, interpretation of test results, post-test recommendations, and coordination of care for other at-risk family members. Prior to ordering germline genetic testing, an advanced practice RN's scope of practice accountability includes consideration of competence in the provision of genomic care. This article provides a case study to illustrate the complexities of issues related to competence when ordering germline genetic testing.

Productivity Measures: Empowering Oncology Nurse Practitioners to Understand and Demonstrate Value in Practice.

Oncology nurse practitioners (ONPs) are essential providers of oncology care who work in a variety of practice settings. ONPs add to productivity in practice, but the way in which productivity is measured may not capture their full contributions and value. A greater understanding of productivity measures can empower ONPs to communicate and demonstrate their full value in practice.

Ambulatory Oncology: Infrastructure Development in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic generated challenges to the delivery of safe, efficient, and high-quality cancer care. In ambulatory oncology, where most cancer care is delivered, these challenges required the rapid development of infrastructure. OBJECTIVES: This article describes challenges to the design and implementation of ambulatory oncology infrastructures that support clinical oncology care during a pandemic. METHODS: This article reviews clinical experiences in interprofessional, multicenter, academic, and community settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cohesive and efficient services, collaborative processes, and workflows; patient triage and symptom management; technology and equipment; and communication strategies are discussed. National ambulatory care guidelines and practice recommendations are included as applicable and available. FINDINGS: Continued treatment delivery and support for patients with cancer, as well as infrastructure to minimize viral exposure to patients and oncology healthcare workers, are essential when caring for this high-risk population.

COVID-19 Pandemic 101: An Epidemiology and Public Health Primer for Oncology Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Understanding basic epidemiology and public health concepts is essential to the provision of safe care during a pandemic. These basic concepts and terms include containment, mitigation, predictive modeling, latent period, incubation period, reproduction number, case fatality rate, and test sensitivity and specificity. OBJECTIVES: Public health concepts and terms are defined, described in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and specific implications for oncology nursing practice are discussed. METHODS: A review of public health literature and reputable websites with a focus on COVID-19 data. This article defines epidemiologic and public health concepts and uses examples from the pandemic to illustrate oncology nursing implications. FINDINGS: The COVID-19 pandemic is changing oncology nursing care delivery. Oncology nurses need to understand these concepts to anticipate and advocate for optimal oncology care.

The effect of education on nursing personnel's knowledge and attitudes regarding the use of integrative care techniques with hospice and palliative care patients.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of education on nursing personnel's knowledge and attitudes regarding the use of hand massage, breathing techniques, and essential oils with hospice and palliative care patients. BACKGROUND: Unrelieved, end of life pain is common among hospitalized patients on hospice and palliative care units. Integrative care techniques such as hand massage, breathing techniques, and essential oils can be available to use with these individuals. Nursing personnel are often unaware of other techniques that are not a traditional pharmacology approach to pain. METHODS: A quasi-experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on nursing personnel's knowledge and attitudes regarding the use of three integrative care techniques (hand massage, breathing techniques, and essential oils) with hospice and palliative care patients in an acute care setting. Data on knowledge and attitudes were collected pre- and postintervention. RESULTS: Following the intervention, improvements in nursing personnel's attitudes and knowledge toward the use of the three techniques were found. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that education of nursing personnel may positively influence knowledge and attitudes toward providing hand massage, breathing techniques, and essential oil for end of life patients.

Essential Oil Use With Breast Imaging A Pilot Study.

Purpose: To examine the following variables related to essential oil use: familiarity, enjoyment, influence on relaxation, intention for future use, and acceptance among women undergoing breast-imaging procedures. Design: A descriptive, exploratory study. Method: An investigator-designed questionnaire was used to gather demographic information and study variables (N = 51). Data on age and scheduled procedure were collected. Data collected on essential oils included choice, anxiety, acceptance, familiarity, relaxation response, enjoyment with use, and intention to use in the future. Acceptance of essential oils was derived from the prompt included on the questionnaire "please tell us the reason you accepted the Essential Oil today." Findings: Enjoyment with essential oils was high 97.9% (n = 48), 76% (n = 38) were familiar with their use, a majority 94% (n = 48) of participants experienced some degree of relaxation following their use, and 94% (n = 46) would continue their use in the future. Acceptance of essential oils was based largely on familiarity with their use. Conclusions: A majority of participants in this study enjoyed essential oils, were familiar with their use, experienced relaxation following use, and intended to use them in the future when undergoing breast-imaging procedures.

Adrenal Insufficiency: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Immune-Related Adverse Event Management.

Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is a potential immune-related adverse event (irAE) of immunotherapy (e.g., checkpoint inhibitor). If not identified and treated promptly, AI can be life-threatening. Unlike other irAEs, AI may be irreversible, requiring long-term glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement. Provider and patient education are essential in the management of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced AI.

Outcome Measurement: Patient Satisfaction Scores and Contact With Oncology Nurse Navigators.

BACKGROUND: Satisfaction with care is a reported outcome of patient navigation. Assessment methods vary, as do navigation programs, including the use of oncology nurse navigators (ONNs). OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of contact with an ONN on patient satisfaction. METHODS: A retrospective review of oncology Press Ganey outpatient satisfaction surveys was conducted. Groups with and without ONN contact were compared on responses to survey items relevant to ONN roles. For those 15 items, mean scores, top box scores, and all-facility percentile rank were compared between those who did and did not report contact with an ONN. FINDINGS: For all items, mean scores and percentile rank comparisons were higher for the group with ONN contact. In the group with ONN contact, top box scores were significantly higher for items pertaining to nurses' concern for patients' questions and worries and staff sensitivity to difficulties and inconvenience caused by the condition or treatment.

The Importance of Factors Related to Nurse Retention: Using the Baptist Health Nurse Retention Questionnaire, Part 2.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of factors related to nurse retention. BACKGROUND: Retaining nurses within the healthcare system is a challenge for hospital administrators. Understanding factors important to nurse retention is essential. METHODS: Responses of nurses (n = 279) to the Baptist Health Nurse Retention Questionnaire (BHNRQ) at a 391-bed Magnet® redesignated community hospital were analyzed to explore differences in importance scores of bedside nurses. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that each of the 12 items on the BHNRQ was moderately to highly important. A multivariate analysis of variance based on generation, degree, unit, and experience revealed no significant differences on subscale scores (nursing practice, management, and staffing). Themes derived from the comment section on the BHNRQ were consistent with quantitative findings. CONCLUSION: Clinical and managerial competence, engagement with their employees, and presence on the unit are keys to retaining a satisfied nursing workforce.

The Baptist Health Nurse Retention Questionnaire: A Methodological Study, Part 1.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to develop and test the Baptist Health Nurse Retention Questionnaire (BHNRQ) and examine the importance of nurse retention factors. BACKGROUND: Multiple factors, including increasing patient acuity levels, have led to concerns regarding nurse retention. An understanding of current factors related to retention is limited. METHODS: To establish the psychometric properties of the BHNRQ, data were collected from 279 bedside nurses at a 391-bed, Magnet® redesignated community hospital. A principal component analysis was conducted to determine the subscale structure of the BHNRQ. Additional analyses were conducted related to content validity and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The results of the principal components analysis revealed 3 subscales: nursing practice, management, and staffing. Analyses demonstrate that the BHNRQ is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring nurse retention factors. CONCLUSION: The BHNRQ was found to be a clinically useful instrument for measuring important factors related to nurse retention.

Understanding colorectal screening behaviors and factors associated with screening in a community hospital setting.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. More than 2,000 Kentuckians are diagnosed with CRC annually, and more than 800 die from the disease. Little research has been conducted in Kentucky to better understand why individuals are not screened for CRC and what strategies might encourage them to do so. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of educational materials mailed to participants supporting the need for CRC screening on the decision to complete screening post-hospital discharge. An additional focus was to identify the characteristics of individuals screened and not screened. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 167 adult patients discharged from a 383-bed Magnet-designated hospital. An investigator-designed, semistructured telephone interview was conducted to collect data on research-based factors identified to influence CRC screening rates. FINDINGS: Although not statistically significant, slightly more patients who remembered receiving educational materials in the mail completed screening. Future educational efforts should focus on the importance of screening and financial resource availability.