1. Dissertation type (Research/Improvement Project or Protocol) Research Project 2. Project/Protocol Title/subject area Evaluating a specialist training program – The impact of a specialist chemotherapy training program on the perceived quality of care provided by nurses in an oncology setting. Subject Area – Cancer Nursing, Haematology/Oncology Nursing, Haematopoietic Stem Cell Nursing, Chemotherapy Nursing 3. Brief justification/background for your choice with suitable references To manage the shortage of nurses that can care for patients receiving chemotherapy, and to train nursing staff to better manage chemotherapy complications, an in-house hospital chemotherapy training program was designed and implemented in a training Hospital. Newly recruited expatriate nurses as well as nurses from various units with some nurses having no experience of chemotherapy nursing, working in an oncology setting, were enrolled on a chemotherapy training program. At the end of training, nurses were expected to be able to provide care for patients receiving chemotherapy and be able to administer chemotherapy to patients. 4. Broad Research/Improvement Aim(s) Question(s) or Hypothesis The main aim of the study would be to evaluate the impact of a specialist chemotherapy training program on the perceived quality of care provided by nurses in an oncology setting after the program is delivered. Question – Does the specialist chemotherapy training program impact on the perceived quality of care provided by nurses in an oncology in-patient setting? 5. Methodology (qualitative /quantitative/mixed method study or Improvement methodology). Quantitative methodology, possibly mixed methods I believe your study is about a nurse-led/oncology led chemotherapy training programme and nurse perceptions of care? Let me help you get started; you could start to structure your dissertation as follows: Chapter 1: Introduction You could introduce chemotherapy, treatment etc as first line treatments for cancer. Then chemotherapy as part of adjuvant therapy too and how it affects cancer patients in multiple ways? For example, treatment related effects including long term and late effects. Would you consider the cancer patients have unmet needs? – how does this impact the patient. You could discuss the delivery of chemotherapy, for example as an outpatient – are patients skilled enough to manage this. What is the support like. What are the barriers. Is there NICE or SIGN guidance for managing patients in the treatment phase? This would then lead nicely to nurse led care/perceptions about care and in particularly quality of care. What is the current knowledge base education and training around chemotherapy training in terms of facilitation of care? Do they highlight clear goals in terms of supported self-management? This section will lead to the literature review. This should get you started for now, which will keep you up to date with your fellow students. You are likely to be the expert here, so you will know the most relevant aspects to include around your topic, but this should give you some ideas. Please remember to include references with all your work. Please refer to the exemplars on the Aula site that will guide your structure and your reference use too. I hope this helps for now.
