Co-design and validation of a family nursing educational intervention in long-term cancer survivorship using expert judgement

Abstract

The number of cancer survivors is increasing exponentially thanks to early screening, treatment, and cancer care. One of the main challenges for healthcare systems and professionals is the care of cancer survivors and their families, as they have specific needs that are often unmet. Nursing students, as future healthcare professionals, need education to face these new health demands. They will need to develop specific competencies to help them care for and empower this emerging population. The aim of the study was to co-design and validate an educational intervention on long-term cancer survivorship for nursing, through a multidisciplinary panel of experts. Group interviews were conducted with a panel of 11 experts, including eight professionals from different backgrounds (oncology, cancer nursing, pharmacology, and education), a long-term cancer survivor, a family member of a cancer survivor, and a nursing student. The experts validated a pioneer educational intervention to train nursing students in long-term cancer survival. The co-design and validation of the intervention from an interdisciplinary perspective and with the participation of long-term cancer survivors and their families was considered relevant as it included the vision of all the stakeholders involved in long-term cancer survivorship.