International Conference on Cancer Nursing 17 (ICCN)

Kris LeFebvre talks to ecancer at ICCN 17, in Prague, about the creation, implementation and review of the Chemotherapy Safety Standards. Started in 2008 with the aim to create standard guidelines for patients receiving chemotherapy as safely as possible, it began by putting together planning teams, literature reviews and mapping out the process of administering chemotherapy. By 2011, oral chemotherapy was being administered more frequently and monitoring this type of treatment was difficult for health care providers, resulting in the Oral Chemotherapy Safety standards. Ms LeFebvre also discusses the importance of educating nurses in the area of prescribing and administering of the oral chemotherapy drugs.

Kicki Klaeson talks to ecancer at ICCN 17, in Prague, about the importance of focusing on the human experience of having cancer, as well as the symptoms and the biology of the patient. Recently, there has been an increased interest in the issue of sexuality and how to discuss this with patients. Many doctors and nurses often wonder when should they talk about this and because of this uncertainty, patients are never asked. Ms Klaeson discuses how her studies take into account the biomedical perspective and use this to look at the emotional effects, especially in patients aged 45-65. Some of the studies simply asked, ‘how do you feel?’ as well as having focused groups aiming to capture an individual and group perspective.

Greta Cummings talks to ecancer at ICCN 17, in Prague, about the recipients of the Distinguished Merit Award and highlights of the International Conference of Cancer Nurses. Ms Cummings also discusses the educational impact ICCN as it brings oncology nurses together from around the globe and increases their knowledge through collaboration, networking and discussion. The ‘ISNCC’ has also begun to prioritise the writing of guidelines in various areas and create online educational programs.

David Larkin talks to ecancer at ICCN 17, in Prague, about the ‘Checklist’ software where patients track their management of symptoms and treatment and various methods in combating side effects. This self-reporting software allows patients to record what they experience on a day-to-day basis, as well as monitor their treatment and any irregularities. The software was developed in the early 2000s. Studies found patients who accepted their symptoms often found a strong sense of relief and alleviation. The most common method people used was altering lifestyle, for example changing diet because of nausea and change of taste due to chemotherapy. Mr Larkin also discusses the differences between cultures in combating with the symptoms and frequency of occurrence.

Linda Sarna talks to ecancer at ICCN 17, in Prague, about smoking cessation and nurse education programs in the Czech Republic. Currently in the Czech Republic, tobacco use causes one-in-four cases of cancer with over one-third of the population smoking. Research shows that nurses using evidence-based support can aid in the cessation of patient smoking habits. Normally patients do not have access to this type of care, even after diagnosis. At a pre-confernce workshop at ICCN 17 training was delivered to nurses, in collaboration with Czech doctors and nurses who are experts in tobacco control, with the goal of giveing all nurses a minimum knowledge of smoking cessation protocol. At the end of the workshop each nurse committed to training 10 to 20 other in what they have learned at their hospital.

Dr Margaret Fitch talks to ecancer at ICCN 17, in Prague, about a national project in Canada that aims to treat patients suffering from high levels of distress. The project started from nurses witnessing cancer patients exhibiting signs of distress during diagnosis and the course of treatment. While some patients only exhibited moderate worries or concerns in regards to their cancer, many exhibit incapacitating levels of anxiety. The screening is done on a tablet computer, only taking two to three minutes, and can be administered to the patient by any healthcare professional. Currently, health care professionals and patients find a level of satisfaction in this interaction. Without education and preparation there can be discomfort in responding to certain topics, like sexuality and spirituality. This screening is now a standard of care in the accreditation system and will be in all hospitals shortly.

Charissa Cordon talks to ecancer at ICCN 17 in Prague about the development of the Oncologic Emergencies course and the importance of understanding adult learning principles. Originally offered as a two-day workshop, the course built on foundational knowledge where newly hired nurses, as well many experienced nurses, learnt how to identity risk factors not normally seen in their specific field. In total eleven different emergency areas were discussed. Because many nurses wanted to attend but could not due to various limitations such as nursing shift schedules, staffing issues, presenter availability and physical space , the workshop was developed into an educational module that was made available online, thus making it more accessible for nurses. Ms Cordon also talks about importance of elearning formats and accessibility, as well as her presentation on adult learning principles for designing the course.

Elaine Lennan talks to ecancer at ICCN 17, in Prague, about her recent publication in ecancermedicalscience, ‘Best practice in nurse-led chemotherapy, standardising services, as well as electronic prescriptions and nurse-physician communication.

Catharine Grimes talks to ecancer at ICCN 17, in Prague, about the various Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation grants, including the announcement of five new grants for 2012, and programmes aimed at improving outcomes and health education. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation currently has six programmes in four geographic areas around the world, all of which address health disparities and outcomes through community-based solutions. In Europe, cancer is the second largest killer with the highest rates in Central and Eastern Europe. These rates of incidence and mortality are continuing to increase even in common cancers. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's focus on cancer in central and eastern Europe started in 2008 through its Bridging Cancer Care programme, and in 2010 turned a focus on educating nurses and building nurse-community partnerships to tackle cancer disparities and improve patient outcomes. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation’s Bridging Cancer Care programme has also begun to partner with ecancer.org on translating and disseminating the trainings being conducted through its grants so that they are accessible to all nurses in the region and worldwide.

Anne Gross talks to ecancer at ICCN 17, in Prague, about the organisation of outpatient treatment and communication between nurses and physicians. Ms Gross stresses that each stage of treatment is critical. From dispensing to administration, it is a high risk and high volume activity with a large focus needed on each individual patient and their chemotherapy. The approach is based on aviation and nuclear industry training methods and implements an educational intervention that teaches team behavior and importance of hierarchy. Nurses learn the development of systems and communication methods in all settings. The ‘train the trainer’ methodology used looks at the whole chemotherapy process and analyses safety for each patient promoting conversation between physician and nurse.