Training oncology nurses to use remote symptom support protocols: a retrospective pre-/post study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Oncology
• Patient Support

Background:

• Remote patient support is crucial for cancer treatment.
• Nurses require effective tools and training for symptom management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of training on nurses' satisfaction and confidence in using symptom protocols for remote cancer patient support.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective pre-/post-study design was employed.
• Interactive workshops were conducted at three Canadian ambulatory oncology programs.
• 107 registered nurses (RNs) participated, with 90 completing post-training surveys.

Main Results:

• Post-training, nurses reported significantly improved confidence in assessing, triaging, and guiding patients with cancer treatment-related symptoms.
• Nurses found the workshops easy to understand, comprehensive, and informative regarding remote symptom management.
• The majority of participants would recommend the training, though some desired more role-playing time.

Conclusions:

• The training workshop effectively enhanced nurses' perceived confidence in providing remote symptom support.
• Future workshops should incorporate more role-play to further develop nurses' skills in protocol utilization and documentation.