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Macmillan cancer and palliative care specialists: their practice development support needs
Katie Booth1, Karen A Luker, John Costello
1Macmillan Practice Development Unit, School of Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting, University of Manchester, UK.
International Journal of Palliative Nursing
|April 2, 2003
Summary
Specialist nurses in cancer and palliative care require significant practice development support, especially in organizational guidance, education, and resources. Improved support is crucial for enhancing cancer and palliative care services.
Area of Science:
- Oncology Nursing
- Palliative Care
- Healthcare Services Research
Background:
- Specialist nurses are vital in cancer and palliative care.
- Identifying their practice development support needs is essential for service improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the practice development support needs of specialist nurses in cancer and palliative care.
- To inform improvements in cancer and palliative care services.
Main Methods:
- A whole population survey using postal questionnaires distributed to 1144 Macmillan post holders.
- Focus groups with 21 respondents to supplement questionnaire data.
- High response rate of 75.7% ensuring robust data.
Main Results:
- Substantial practice development needs identified among specialist nurses.
- Key needs include organizational support, guidance, education, resources, and access to evidence.
- Nurses require practical organizational support to implement care improvements.
Conclusions:
- Specialist nurses face significant barriers to practice development without adequate organizational support.
- Addressing these needs is critical for enhancing the quality of cancer and palliative care.
- Future initiatives must prioritize practical, organizational backing for nurses.