The future of advanced clinical practice in oncology nursing

Futures research, a popular field that forecasts the future based on past and present statistics and trends, can help oncology nurses project needs and prepare for the unknown. Projections based on past and present statistics and trends related to health care, nursing, and cancer abound. They provide some guidance but fall short of describing how nurses can best respond to the growing number of patients with cancer, survivors of cancer, their families, and communities. If we can define, measure, and articulate the effect that advanced practice nurses have on patients with cancer, we can determine the most effective way to implement cancer care in the future.