Rationale
The EdCaN National Professional Development Framework for Cancer Nursing identifies several principles which underpin the contribution that nurses make to care of people with cancer. These principles include:
- The priorities, needs and experiences of people affected by cancer should be central to the development of cancer control programs and to specialist cancer nursing practice.
- Nurses make an important contribution to meeting the needs of people affected by cancer across the entire trajectory of the experience of people affected by cancer, including:
- Reducing the risk of developing cancer
- Finding cancer as early as possible, if early treatment is effective
- Having the best treatment and support during active treatment
- Having the best treatment and support after and between periods of active treatment
- Having the best care at the end of life if the cancer is not cured
- Nurses' involvement in cancer control is governed by the values, guidelines and principles set out by regulatory and professional bodies, taking account of current evidence, population health needs and Australian Government priorities in cancer control.
- Nurses need to be responsive to the needs of people affected by cancer, by incorporating new practice areas and capabilities as they evolve, as well as negotiating the scope of practice with other health professionals involved in cancer control.
Key concepts
- The experience of people affected by cancer.
- Cancer care delivery systems.
- Scope of practice for specialist cancer nursing.
- Professional and regulatory standards relevant to SCN practice.
- SCN contribution to cancer control.
Objectives
On completion of this supporting resource, you should be able to:
- Appreciate the experience and common concerns of people affected by cancer across the cancer journey.
- Describe contemporary models and principles for delivering cancer services and factors influencing these systems.
- Evaluate the contribution of specialist cancer nursing practice in responding to the experience of people affected by cancer.
- Analyse the domains and associated professional standards that inform specialist cancer nursing practice.
- Evaluate role of specialist cancer nursing in national and international cancer control programs.
- Analyse factors influencing the development of contemporary cancer nursing
Learning activities
At times, you will have learning activities to complete. Click on the learning activities button and a list of questions will pop up. The questions will relate to the content you've just read or the video you've just watched.
Resource links
Resource links are included throughout the resource. These links lead to interesting articles or websites, and are designed to encourage you to explore other available resources.
Suggested citation:
Cancer Australia. (2018) EdCaN module: The cancer journey. version 1.2.
Next: The cancer experience: the person diagnosed with cancer