Effective Use of Advanced Practice Nurses in the Delivery of Adult Cancer Services in Ontario

Guideline Objective

To make evidence-based recommendations about APN roles (i.e., CNS, NP) for optimizing patient, provider, and health system outcomes across the cancer journey.

Patient Population

Patients across the cancer journey (i.e., prevention, screening/diagnosis, treatment, survivorship/recovery, palliative care, end-of-life care).

Intended Guideline Users

• Healthcare administrators who plan the delivery of services in cancer and other healthcare settings
• Chief Nurse Executives
• Models of care steering committees
• Healthcare policy makers
• Registered nurses (RNs), advanced practice nurses, physicians and other allied health professionals involved in the delivery of cancer care
• APN educators and researchers
• Directors of Interprofessional Practice
• Professional associations (e.g., Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario)

Research Question(s)

1. For which patient populations and in which situations (types of needs, practice settings, phase of the cancer journey) have APN roles demonstrated equivalence or improved outcomes or reduced harms in appropriate controlled comparative studies of cancer care?
2. What specific patient, provider, or health system outcome indicators are associated with CNS or NP roles?