Nurses have a key role in the development of a culture of research in cancer control. As multidisciplinary team members they have a leading role in undertaking research which aims to enhance the care delivered to cancer patients.
Cancer research focuses on some of the following areas:
- children with cancer
- cancer survivorship
- cancer and ageing
- service and practice development within specialist care for adults with cancer
The NCCP are keen to build capacity in nursing to make a substantial contribution to leading cancer care research in Ireland.
The NCCP have held masterclasses on research and evidence based practice for ANPs working in oncology, haemato-oncology, radiation oncology and paediatric oncology.
Scoping Review of the Nursing Configuration in Ambulatory Haematology/Oncology Day Unit Settings
The National Cancer Strategy (2017-20260) recommends a “comprehensive workforce plan for cancer services”. To fulfil this requirement the National Cancer Control Programme, in conjunction with Trinity College Dublin, have published a scoping review on the Nursing configuration in ambulatory haematology/oncology day unit settings (AHODU) (2023). From the review it is clear that the assumptions from the Department of Health, Safe Staffing Framework, can be applied to AHODU settings;
- Patient care needs differ
- Determining skill mix and staffing numbers is required
- Features of the organisational environment will influence the organisation of care
- Staff and patient outcomes are important
An AHODU dependency and acuity tool needs to be appropriately configured which can effectively measure nursing services as delivered in Ireland. Further research is required to determine the validity and reliability of any acuity tool used.
NCCP-Scoping-Review-Nursing-configuration-in-ambulatory-haematology-oncology-day-unit-settings.pdf (size 1 MB)
