Oncology Nurse Participation in Survivorship Care

Oncology nurses play an important role in the provision of survivorship care. Using report recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, nurses provide quality cancer care based on the specific characteristics of individual healthcare settings and the populations they serve. As part of the planning process, the evaluation of a setting's resources and goals for desired survivorship activities can make the difference between success and failure. Collaborating with local and national resources for cancer survivors can help expand a setting's services in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Models of care vary and resources and communication differ among settings; as a result, survivorship care changes across models. Nurses are critical to implementing survivorship activities and facilitating communication among healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers. In addition, nurses significantly contribute to the dissemination and coordination of information between patients and healthcare providers.