CN87 - An accreditation tool towards safe quality cancer nursing care

Background

Good Clinical Practice in cancer care throughout Europe implies a strong and even development of cancer nursing. The European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) Advocacy Working Group has been advocating for improvement in those areas as a way to impact the quality of cancer care. One of EONS's projects - European Cancer Nursing Index (ECNI) – made visible asymmetries throughout European countries on domains like patient and occupational safety, workforce and working conditions, educational levels, and recognition. This knowledge is the ground base for an urge to action.

Methods

The recognition tool serves to promote awareness in nurses, patients and families, managers, and boards towards specific measures/processes needed to achieve safer and quality cancer care. Not only it can provide knowledge and awareness but can grow as an aspirational symbol for cancer units and a roadmap to the necessary steps towards achieving quality cancer care. The “EONS Accreditation of Safe Workplace” is a tool developed by EONS advocacy working group. It comprises several domains – general policy, safe environment and worker protection, continuous education, safe patient care, and managing of hazardous drugs and radiation – that serve as a standard basis to promote quality safety cancer care. The accreditation will be a voluntary process, ideally self-proposed by the unit itself, using a questionnaire for managers and nurses. The final score represents the level of the unit's maturity towards EONS standards, leading to the recognition of a safe workplace or a recommendation for improvement. The tool is currently constructed and being tested in three hospitals in Belgium, Sweden, and Portugal for final adjustments.

Results

The implementation of “EONS Accreditation of Safe Workplace” could increase the current EONS advocacy work towards safe and quality care. Every unit could propose the application, leading to a recognition and improvement drive between cancer units and promoting healthy competition towards safe and quality care.

Conclusions

At a political level, could bring awareness to multilevel management and stakeholders that impact on nursing workforce and work conditions. Also, is a tool that could empower nurses, as well as patients and families, to search and advocate for safer places of care.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.