ASSURE: Antimicrobial StewardShip edUcation for canceR nursEs
Project description
Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer. Sepsis and neutropenic fever are common amongst cancer patients and the additional costs associated with sepsis, inappropriate antimicrobial therapy especially prolonged durations, antibiotic complications, and allergy labels are significant. Cancer patients are becoming more complex, and surviving longer, and there are major pressures with patient flow, not to mention equitable quality of care no matter where our patients live.
Cancer specialist nursing roles are recognised as vital in reducing the burden of cancer on individuals and their communities. While there are well-established nursing roles for cancer infection prevention, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the National Centre for Infections in Cancer have established the ever first advanced practice nursing role in the management of infections (including sepsis) and antimicrobials in cancer in Australia.
The Nurse Practitioner (NP) role in Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship role has led an educational program to upskill cancer nursing staff in the areas of antimicrobial prescribing, antimicrobial allergy and de-labelling, sepsis and neutropenic fever over the last 2 years. The role has been integral in effective maintenance of clinical pathways of care and has demonstrated improvement in patient outcomes, quality of life and cost savings to the healthcare service.
This project aims to provide training and upskilling of nursing staff from regional and rural settings to leverage the advanced practice nursing role developed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. While the role at Peter Mac is primarily with cancer patients, the problems of sepsis, allergy labels, and inappropriate antimicrobial prescription is applicable to non-cancer patients too. There are no existing targeted educational programs for nurses that focus on these important clinical problems.
Expansion of the project will facilitate development of an online education package, with focus on areas such as early recognition of sepsis and sepsis pathway management, sepsis pathway auditing education in cancer patients, managing neutropenic fever, patient education tools for infection prevention and supporting an ambulatory model of care.
Outcomes
The ASSURE program addresses the management and prevention of infection for patients undergoing cancer treatment and can lead to:
Reduction in admission to ICU for sepsis
Reduction in time spent in hospital
Reduction in adverse reactions and side effects from antimicrobials
Improved coordination of care and patient pathway
Improved quality of life
The program is intended to empower nurses to improve the patient journey around infection management during their cancer journey which will improve the patient’s quality of life.
Impact on the healthcare professional
The grant will provide training and upskilling of nursing staff involved in cancer care to empower them to lead improvement programs in their own organisation.
Impact on the healthcare institution
Building a nursing workforce that can effectively recognise and manage infection complications in cancer care will deliver improved quality of care and patient outcomes.
Proposer
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
305 Grattan St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Project contact person:
Belinda Lambros
belinda.Lambros@petermac.org
Other project team members:
Belinda Lambros (Nurse Practitioner, Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship)
Professor Karin Thursky (Infectious Diseases Physician)
Professor Meinir Krishnasamy (Director - Academic Nursing Unit)
Ada Cheung (Quality Use of Medicines Pharmacist)
A/Professor Jason Trubiano (Infectious Diseases Physician)
A/Professor Gabrielle Haeusler (Infectious Diseases Physician)