Utilizing Resources to Educate Oncology Nurses, APPs on Latest Advances in Breast Cancer

Oncology nurses and APPs have a number of resources to enhance care by using latest advances in cancer care, including physicians and other providers, research news, and package inserts, said Erica S. Doubleday, MS, FNP-C, BSN, RN, in an interview with Oncology Nursing News.

The director of APPs Oncology Service Line Hematology and Medical Oncology at Ochsner Health System mentioned that she uses the physician she works with as a resource and that their team has a group text for sharing news in breast cancer research.

Doubleday also emphasized the importance of reading the patient-facing information from drug package inserts to better answer patient questions. She added that being transparent with patients when nurses and APPs do not know the answer to a question builds trust.

Transcript

One of my biggest resources is still the physician I work with. He has been a physician practicing in the world of oncology for 37 years, and so I still go to him. We have—I do just breast cancer—and so we have what we call a “breast pod group text.” So anytime there is a new indication for a drug, somebody is going to text on that and let us know.… And then take the time to read about the things that are coming out in breast cancer.

Read the clinical trial, read the package inserts. I love package inserts because they tell you exactly how to use the medicine, when to dose reduce, what the pills look like—which is great, because patients love to tell you they're taking the little pink pill, and you don't know what the little pink pill is. So I am a big proponent of your package inserts.

And then use your other resources, like from places like Oncology Nursing News, that do post the articles. You can always reach out to your drug reps. If you feel like you need more education, they are more than happy, your [medical science liaisons], your drug reps, to drop off information.

Me, personally, sometimes I find it easier to actually read the patient-focused education versus the provider-focused education, because I find it it's a little bit more black and white, and then when you explain it to a patient, you're explaining it black and white. You're not giving them all of the education that they tried to give you. …

If you don't know the answer to a question, say, “I don't know, but let me find out for you.” That statement is so powerful for us as nurses and APPs. It shows the patients we may not know everything, but we're going to find out the right answer, and it's OK to admit that we don't know something and we need to go look it up.