Journal Article

HERE WE GROW: INTEGRATING NURSING PRACTICE VIA ONCOLOGY NURSING GRAND ROUNDS

Payne, Michelle, Duemig, Micah, McBride, James, Shore, Dena, Minnix, Ryan, Rippy, Kimberly

2024

Overview

A healthcare system merger resulted in the need to begin integrating oncology nursing practices across approximately 40 acute and ambulatory oncology patient care areas. Nursing grand rounds (NGR) are well supported by literature to promote peer learning, acknowledge best practices, improve rapport across nursing staff, and promote professional development. The purpose was to remove geographical barriers, establish nursing relationships, and promote practice inquiry and learning across a merging health care system by implementing a quarterly virtual, live, and enduring oncology NGR program. A NGR team consisting of nursing leadership, nursing educators, and frontline nursing staff across the system began meeting to establish NGR topics, standardized content delivery, apply for continuing education hours, and develop evaluation methods. Special attention was given to ensure content applied to all nursing practice areas, involved actual patient case studies, included time for discussion to learn practice difference across the system, and involved frontline oncology nurses from content planning to delivery. A total of 3 NGR programs have been offered in 2023. To earn contact hours, nurses were required to evaluate overall learning, answer questions to assess learning, provide feedback, and ideas for future sessions. Over 206 total contact hours were earned for first and second quarter events. Enduring hours remain open for 3rd quarter and the 4th quarter event will be held in November. Over 80% of learners strongly agreed or agreed learning outcomes were met by NGR programs. Comments by attendees were positive and included representation from over 30 different sites. The first topic, led to a review of infusion reaction reporting and harmonization with emergency procedures and order sets. Other topics have included health literacy and system patient education and trauma informed care with a review of resources. While NGR is not a new concept, implementing an oncology NGR with the goal of integrating nursing practice across a merging health system, has proven to be effective. Delivery via numerous formats offered opportunities for nurses to network, learn from one another, advocate needs or concerns to integration leadership and is leading to efficiency and improved patient care through practice and resource alignment. Networking leading to policy, procedure, evidenced based practice standardization has accelerated as a result of NGR. NGR programs can be used by leaders to integrate oncology nursing practices during healthcare system mergers.

• Publisher: Oncology Nursing Society
• Subject: Nurses / Nursing / Nursing care / Oncology