Perspectives on the Evolution of Cancer Nursing in Papua New Guinea Through Education (2021-2025)

In 2021, cancer nursing was not a recognized speciality in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and there was no cancer nursing education in the country. This perspective traces the evolution of cancer nursing in PNG over four and a half years, with the focus on education as the change agent.

The nurses' perspectives were shaped by synthesizing nurse narratives, reviewing existing literature, and implementing service improvements to manage safety issues. Interventions involved weekly remote Zoom education sessions, support from international nursing organizations, and the formation of PaNGONA, fostering professional development and collaboration.

Over the past 4.5 years, the PNG nurses embraced the offered education and other interventions and have grown in competency in managing the care of cancer patients. This perspective presents the interventions chronologically, as well as the personal narratives of six PNG nurses. These narratives reveal a level of professional transformation and the emergence of local leadership, but also acknowledges the challenges that continue.

Despite significant resource constraints, cancer nursing in PNG has advanced rapidly. The creation of PaNGONA further solidified a national group that enabled communication, education, and collegial support across the country.

This article offers a model for low-resource settings seeking to develop specialist nursing services. Nurses need to find a voice to lobby the government for improvements in patient care, including patient support to travel to hospitals for treatment, thus improving access to cancer treatments. Nurses will be well-placed to be strong advocates for their patients.