Overview of Entry to Specialty
The EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty) was developed to meet the needs of nurses who are new to specialist cancer settings. The program draws on material developed for EdCaN and provides a structured program of learning to meet the specific professional development needs of this group.
The EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty) was originally developed in conjunction with Queensland Health, as part of their Queensland Transition Support Program: Cancer Care. The original program has been adapted to ensure it is relevant across all States and Territories.
The EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty) is not intended to develop advanced practitioners in the cancer specialty, although participation in the program is an important step in a career pathway for Registered Nurses (RNs) who wish to undertake further professional development to achieve cancer nursing competencies at an advanced practice level. While the program has been developed primarily for RNs who commence practicing in a specialist cancer setting, components will also be relevant for RNs who care for people affected by cancer in a range of other settings such as acute medical and surgical units.
A summary of the program and the underpinning curriculum is outlined in the Introduction to EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Speciality) (PDF 4.3 MB).
Expected outcomes
The EdCaN Framework defines specific competency standards and capabilities required for nurses performing at different levels of practice from beginning through to the advanced levels. For the purposes of the EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty), the standard of practice expected for a RN following completion of a program of professional development and professional experience have been defined. These performance criteria are considered to reflect the standard of practice required of a Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse.
The EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty) is based on the assumption that all nurses have achieved beginning level knowledge and skills in care of people affected by cancer through previous education and clinical experiences in pre-registration programs. The EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty) thus focuses on further development of the core knowledge and skills necessary to provide safe and effective nursing to people affected by cancer to the level of an advanced beginner capable of practising competently in a specialist cancer context.
Aim
The aim of the program is to develop the capabilities of nurses new to cancer care to enable them to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Following successful completion of the EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty), the participant will be able to:
- Assess the health status of people affected by cancer to formulate an individualised plan of care
- Adapt care based on the contextual influences impacting on the health status of people affected by cancer
- Integrate evidence based practices in the delivery of safe and effective care for people affected by cancer
- Collaborate in multidisciplinary cancer control efforts
- Demonstrate a commitment to continuing professional development.
Structure and time frame for completion
The EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty) has been developed as a structured program of learning for nurses new to a specialist cancer setting. Modules should be completed within a 12 month timeframe.
It is recommended that Module 1: The Cancer Experience, be completed prior to commencing subsequent modules. Specialist Nurse Educators can alter the program to meet the needs of the local context.
It is expected that completing the entire EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty) will take approximately 240 hours of learning. Modules 1 to 5 are considered mandatory; the selection of modules within module 6 should be based on their relevance to the individual learner and their cancer workplace setting.
Recommended assessment activities
Assessment of learning outcomes can be negotiated by the Program participant and their workplace. A suggested assessment plan is outlined in the Introduction to EdCaN Cancer Nursing Program (Entry to Specialty) (PDF 1.7 MB) as linked above. It includes:
- Integrated Clinical Assessment Tool (ICAT) (PDF 1.7MB)
- Reflective journal
- Case study
Learning modules
Module One: the cancer experience
The aim of this module is to develop the ability of the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to apply fundamental concepts of cancer care across all domains of nursing practice. view module
Module Two: the biology of cancer
The aim of this module is to develop knowledge of fundamental concepts in cancer care in order for the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to demonstrate competence across all domains of practice. This module focuses specifically on developing an understanding of the fundamental concepts associated with biology of cancer and their implications for nursing practice. view module
Module Three: core skills in cancer care
The aim of this module is to develop the ability of the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to demonstrate competence in the core skills required to provide nursing care for people with cancer. view module
Module Four: cancer treatment principles
The aim of this module is to continue to develop the ability of the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to provide care to people undergoing treatment for cancer. view module
Module Five: principles of supportive care in cancer
The aim of this module is to develop the ability of the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to demonstrate competence in providing evidence-based supportive care to people with cancer. view module
Module Six Part One: providing care for the person having surgery for cancer
The aim of this module is to develop the ability of the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to demonstrate competence across all domains of practice when caring for the person having cancer surgery. view module
Module Six Part Two: providing care for the person having radiotherapy for cancer
The aim of this module is to develop the ability of the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to demonstrate competence across all domains of practice when caring for the person having radiotherapy for cancer. view module
Module Six Part Three: providing care for the person having antineoplastic agents for cancer
The aim of this module is to develop the ability of the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to demonstrate competence across all domains of practice when caring for the person receiving antineoplastic agents for cancer. view module
Module Six Part Four: providing care for the person receiving biological and molecular targeted therapies for cancer
The aim of this module is to develop the ability of the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to demonstrate competence across all domains of practice when caring for the person receiving biological or molecular targeted therapies for cancer. view module
Module Six Part Five: providing care for the person undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
The aim of this module is to develop the ability of the Beginning Specialist Cancer Nurse to demonstrate competence across all domains of practice when caring for the person undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. view module