Excellent Practices
Implementation of a Comprehensive Educational Framework for Oncology Nursing Practice
Practice Category: Treatment
Centre: Cancer Center Clínica Universidad de Navarra
Marian Soteras
Nurse Manager of the Cancer Center
masoteras@unav.es
Challenge addressed by the practice
Nursing care for oncology patients requires advanced competencies to ensure patient safety and high-quality care. The main challenge is to ensure that nurses are adequately prepared to support patients and their families. This includes safely administering increasingly complex treatments in a context of continuous therapeutic innovation and high clinical workload. Consequently, it was essential to implement a sustainable training model that integrates technical competence, scientific updating, and the development of communication skills, ensuring that nursing practice consistently meets the highest standards of quality and safety. This model encompasses different levels of nursing education, including a master’s-level programme in oncology care for newly recruited registered nurses, continuous professional development for experienced oncology nurses, and targeted training for nurses from other clinical areas who also care for oncology patients and administer complex treatments, such as intensive care, paediatrics, or the operating theatre.
Solution
To work as a nurse in the Cancer Center, specific education in Oncology Nursing is required, provided through either a 60-ECTS master’s degree or a postgraduate expert diploma, both academic programmes embedded within the Faculty of Nursing of the University of Navarra. The academic leadership of the master’s programme is led by the Nursing Professional Development Area of the Clinic. Training needs are identified through direct observation of clinical practice, annual competency assessments, accreditation and quality requirements, incident reporting systems and indicators, evaluation of training activities, and a dedicated request form available on the intranet. The administration of antineoplastic treatments is limited to nurses with accredited training. In clinical areas such as intensive care, paediatrics, and the operating theatre, annual training and specific competency assessment procedures are in place to ensure safety and excellence in complex oncological treatments.
Impact
The implementation of a structured nursing education model has ensured that all nurses working in the Cancer Center share a solid foundation of knowledge and competencies in oncology nursing, supported by comprehensive educational programmes that guarantee advanced oncology nursing competencies. Continuous professional development enables ongoing updating of clinical practice in line with therapeutic advances and evolving care needs. In addition, mandatory annual training for nurses administering treatments in critical care, operating theatres, and paediatric settings ensures that complex oncological therapies are consistently delivered by appropriately qualified professionals. This comprehensive approach has contributed to greater consistency in clinical practice, strengthened patient safety, and reinforced a culture of excellence and professionalism within the nursing team. Furthermore, the existence of these structured educational programmes supports the Center’s positioning as a reference institution for advanced oncology nursing education, aligned with international quality and safety standards.
Critical success factors
The successful implementation of this educational model is based on several critical factors. First, the integration of specialised oncology education (master’s or postgraduate expert level) into the onboarding pathway for oncology nurses ensures a high level of clinical competence from the outset. Second, close collaboration with the Nursing Professional Development and Research Area enables systematic identification of training needs and continuous adaptation of educational activities to scientific advances and clinical demands. Third, standardised annual training in critical care, operating theatres, and paediatric settings promotes ongoing updating and consistency in nursing practice, to showcase good practices across the whole organisation. In addition, formal competency assessment procedures support effective workforce planning and appropriate allocation of responsibilities. Strong institutional support reinforces a shared culture of safety, excellence, and professional accountability, underpinning the sustainability of the model.
Next steps
Future developments will focus on consolidating and expanding the educational model through a continuous quality improvement approach. Training programmes will be systematically updated to incorporate advanced therapies and emerging clinical challenges. Interdisciplinary educational activities will be strengthened to improve coordination across care pathways. Specific indicators will monitor and evaluate the impact of education on patient safety, quality of care, and clinical outcomes, enabling long-term benchmarking. In parallel, communication skills and humanised care training will be further reinforced to support a comprehensive, patient- and family-centred model of oncology care.
Amaya Villanueva Marian Soteras