Nurses
Nursing represents the largest segment of the nation’s
health care workforce and has a significant role on the
“front lines” of cancer care, both in hospitals and ambulatory
settings.
Undergraduate nursing education rarely includes didactic
training in oncology, according to a review of the content
of basic nursing education. Nurses generally only receive
exposure to cancer care through coursework related to surgical
and medical care of chronic diseases.
A review of the curricula of graduate nursing programs
offering an oncology focus suggests that the survivorship
content could be strengthened. In addition, incentives
should be developed to encourage nurses to seek certification
in oncology, and the number of nursing schools that
provide graduate training in oncology should be expanded.
These advanced training programs could generate
more nurses with the training needed to assume active
roles in survivorship care.