Education in practice: a colorectal link-nurse programme.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Oncology Nursing
• Colorectal Cancer Care

Background:

• Previous link-nurse schemes and recent legislation informed the program.
• Educational theory provided the framework for this learning approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To plan, implement, and evaluate a link-nurse program for colorectal cancer nursing.
• To maintain patient-centered support and provide ongoing education for nurses.

Main Methods:

• The program involved planning, implementation, and evaluation phases.
• Educational theory was applied to the learning approach.

Main Results:

• Link nurses improved awareness of the patient's journey, support needs, and the multidisciplinary team's role.
• Adequate time, support, and encouragement were crucial for program success.

Conclusions:

• The link-nurse program effectively enhanced nurses' understanding and support capabilities in colorectal cancer care.
• The study explored benefits and challenges of practice-based nursing education.