Standardising Chemotherapy Nursing Practice across a Cancer Network Claire Kelly Network Lead Nurse Cancer Care Alliance of Teesside, South Durham & North Yorkshire

Setting the Scene Teesside, South Durham & North Yorkshire Population of 1.4 million Diverse population, predominantly deprived community Scarce inward mobility Established since 1997 post Calman-Hine

Chemotherapy Nursing Audit 9 departments across 7 hospital sites team practice, health & safety, administration, education & training Findings –variations in practice and policies –lack of chemotherapy training in network –lack of evidence of competence & CPD

Chemotherapy Nurses Forum Network wide membership Monthly meetings in external venue Prioritise issues from the audit and develop action plan Peer support Sharing resources and experiences Working together to achieve shared goals

Standards & Competencies Competency Framework Local chemotherapy module

CPD - Competency Framework CCA Competency Framework Mapping the patient pathway - framework Identified key stages across the pathway Developed competencies for each stage 4 levels Knowledge, practice and evidence

Competencies Patient Assessment Holistic Practice Prevention & Management of Side Effects Chemotherapy Administration Legal, ethical issues Research, audit, evidence based practice

Education Local chemotherapy module (Teesside University) Education Standard Content links to the competency framework Taught by members of the Chemotherapy Forum Multidisciplinary

Practice Practice competencies linked to the theoretical module - accredited Senior nurses assessed by external nurse consultant Learning needs identified Supported by chemotherapy nurses forum and competency framework

Education Pathway Chemo nurse Theory module Practice Competencies Competency Framework Pharmacist Theory module Competency Framework Porter Competency Framework

Challenges Encouraging staff to accept new approaches to education Practice Assessment - peer review Relevance to peer review visits Uptake by multidisciplinary teams Ongoing implementation & evaluation

Outcomes Standardised approach to education & training across the network Availability of local accredited education Standardised approach to monitoring of competencies All chemotherapy staff have been involved in the project Enhanced collaboration and sharing