Primary care nurse practitioners providing survivorship cancer care.

Abstract

14 Background: The Oncology Nurse Practitioner Web Education Resource (ONc-PoWER) is an online course developed specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs) in their first year of oncology practice paired with an onsite mentor (physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant). Based on the Oncology Nursing Society’s Competencies for Entry to Practice, the course consists of 5 interactive modules: 1) the new patient visit 2) presenting a patient with cancer 3) cancer visits across the continuum of care 4) palliative and hospice care 5) self-care and professional development. The purpose of this study was to examine the NPs and mentors experience with the learning activities and to what degree the learning objectives were met. Methods: Dyads of NPs and mentors completed the course over 4-6 months. There are items for course evaluation with Likert scaled responses of 1) did not meet objective 2) somewhat met objective 3) met objective 4) more than met objective 5) exceeded objective expectation. Results: Enrollment is ongoing. Thirty NPs new to practice and 22 oncology mentors have completed evaluations thus far. Responses overall are favorable. Conclusions: The ONcPoWER web enhanced oncology orientation program was favorably evaluated by nurse practitioners new to cancer care and their mentors. This method of electronic orientation could standardize the exposure of essential basic cancer care competencies at entry to oncology nurse practitioner practice and, with some edits to content, for community based primary care nurse practitioners caring for cancer survivors. [Table: see text]