Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Provider Education Lead Tennessee Oncology Nashville, Tennessee, United States
BACKGROUND There is a rapid pace of clinical innovation in oncology and hematology, with new drug approvals and indications, biomarker testing, and other changes which affect clinical practice. This innovation requires ongoing educational initiatives for experienced advanced practice providers (APPs) to maintain their expertise and high level of functioning in clinical practice. APP new hires often come with additional needs for education related to oncology and hematology content during the onboarding process to achieve a high level of functioning in specialty practice. Meeting these educational needs across a large practice network with multiple clinics covering a broad geographic area across two time zones poses a challenge. APPs typically sought education by attending live conferences and industry-sponsored events but there was a lack of shorter programs with content controlled by APPs.
PURPOSE The purpose of this initiative was to develop a series of interesting and clinically relevant education programs tailored to oncology and hematology APPs at a large community oncology network.
METHODS An APP education committee was formed and a chair identified to manage this initiative. An initial learning needs assessment was conducted using an online survey tool completed by 30 APPs. The survey demonstrated a preference for a both live and on demand educational programs. A monthly series of internal education programs was established. Survey results were used to select topics. An online conferencing application was used to make programs available live for APPs wherever they were located. The programs were recorded and video links were posted on a cloud-based platform for work management. This collection of videos has become a growing library of on-demand programs which are accessible from any device and available for use during onboarding of APP new hires.
EVALUATION Between October 2020 and July 2022, there were 27 internal education programs for APPs on a wide range of topics including major cancer types, benign hematology, biomarker testing, genetic testing, palliative care, integrative oncology, and work life balance. The median attendance at live programs was 10, with additional participation on demand. Nineteen APPs across the network were engaged as presenters, with physicians and biomarker specialists also presenting. The initiative was evaluated by soliciting feedback from focus groups which revealed a preference for shorter length programs. A follow up survey was conducted approximately 2 years after the initial survey, with 28 APPs responding. Survey results affirmed heterogeneity regarding years of service among the APPs and confirmed the need for basic, intermediate and advanced content levels. The survey responses demonstrated an increase in engagement in live or on-demand virtual education programs. The majority of respondents (93%) reported participating in virtual programs only 0-1 time a month on average prior to the education initiative, but 71% reported participating in virtual programs 1-2 times a month, with 11% reporting participation 3-4 times a month after the initiation of the education programs. Most respondents agreed that programs included clinically relevant and interesting topics and were easy to access live or on demand. The follow up survey provided additional feedback regarding preferred times for live programs and suggestions for future topics.
DISCUSSION AND INNOVATION This education initiative has successfully provided education tailored to meet the needs of oncology and hematology APPs. The use of technology has allowed for broader engagement in live programs and provided a platform for access on demand.
