Career Impact of Palliative Care Fellowship Training for Nurse Practitioners.

Background: Postgraduate fellowship training for nurse practitioners (NP) in palliative care can ameliorate workforce shortages; however, currently there are few NP fellowships and little evidence about outcomes, such as retention in hospice and palliative nursing, job satisfaction, or professional contributions. Objective: To describe the impact of palliative care fellowship training on the careers of NP alumni. Methods: A survey was electronically distributed to all NP alumni of an interprofessional palliative care fellowship since adult and pediatric nursing cohorts were added (2009-2022). Results: Most respondents still worked in hospice and/or palliative care; a majority of them engaged in professional activities beyond clinical work and reported high career satisfaction. Alumni endorsed multiple benefits of postgraduate fellowship except for post-fellowship compensation. Conclusions: NP palliative care fellowship alumni reported multiple career benefits including job satisfaction, professional accomplishment, and ongoing employment at their training institutions.

The Supportive Oncology Collaborative: Expanding upon Collaborative Care to Increase Supportive Care Access in Underserved Populations.

Background: Access to supportive services in community-based oncology is challenging but essential, particularly for underserved populations. Methods: We developed the Supportive Oncology Collaborative (SOC), built upon the tenets of Collaborative Care, an existing model used to increase access to behavioral health in community settings. Using a population-health-based approach with screening, a registry, and shared care, we added palliative care specialists to a team of social workers and a consulting psychiatrist. We provided integrated psychosocial and palliative care at community-based sites of a large comprehensive cancer center. Results: We implemented the model in 2020 at a community site with a racially and ethnically diverse patient population. Encounters grew from 527 in our first year to 2,130 in 2022. Using screening tools, we identify the highest-risk patients for discussion in team meetings. Discussion: We are expanding the SOC across the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute regional campuses and believe it can increase access to integrated psychosocial and palliative care in cancer centers across the country.