Challenges and Opportunities - Educating the Nurse for Cancer Care

Chapter 2: Challenges and Opportunities Educating the Nurse for Cancer Care

Overview:

• A brief history of cancer and cancer care is provided
• A description of under-graduate and post-graduate education in cancer nursing is provided
• Provides advice on career planning

Description:

The preparation of nurses for cancer care is an important aspect of the social response to cancer. Following a brief historical overview, this chapter focuses on the challenges and opportunities that exist in the formal preparation of nurses for cancer care. The chapter draws on the author’s personal experience in developing and teaching cancer nursing at LaTrobe University. The final section of this chapter offers potential students a guide to choosing a postgraduate course.

Topics:

• A brief history
• Under-graduate education in cancer nursing
• Post-graduate cancer nursing courses
• Clinical performance
• Course content
• The future
• Career planning and graduate education
  • Client-focused practice
  • Choosing a graduate course
• References

Speaker / Author:

Sanchia Aranda
Master of Nursing, Bachelor of Applied Science (Advanced Nursing), Registered Nurse, Member of the Royal College of Nursing, Australia, Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the School of Postgraduate Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Australia.

Sanchia has worked in cancer and palliative care nursing since 1979 in both adult and paediatric settings. Sanchia originally trained as a nurse in New Zealand before moving to Australia in 1979. She did an oncology course at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. In 1989 she developed the cancer/palliative care nursing course at La Trobe University in Melbourne and in 1996 developed this course for delivery in distance mode. In March 1997 Sanchia took up the position of Associate Professor in Palliative Care, a joint appointment between The University of Melbourne’s Centre for Palliative Care and School of Postgraduate Nursing. Sanchia is a board member of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care, a position that has provided her with a wonderful opportunity to view Australian nursing within the wider global context.

Professional Reviews: