Yale Bulletin and Calendar

April 26-May 3, 1999

Volume 27, Number 30

New degree program to prepare
oncology nurse practitioners

The School of Nursing has introduced a new degree program which prepares advanced practice nurses to provide comprehensive care and support to cancer patients and families.

The first students undertaking the oncology nurse practitioner (ONP) master's specialty will be admitted this fall. Registered nurses may complete the program in two years, while non-nurses may complete it in three.

M. Tish Knobf, associate professor of nursing, will direct the program. Knobf is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a noted authority on cancer nursing. Her research focuses on quality of life and symptom distress in women with breast cancer.

Oncology nurse practitioners combine the holistic philosophy of the nurse practitioner role with an in-depth knowledge of cancer, says Knobf. These advanced practice nurses assess and manage the disease process, as well as a wide range of physical and psychosocial symptoms and health problems that may be unrelated to cancer, she notes. They work with patients and families throughout the duration of the illness.

"Oncology nurse practitioners are prepared to incorporate the physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects into a plan of care that maximizes quality of life," says Knobf. "As cancer therapies grow increasingly complex and move into ambulatory settings, patients and their families need a provider who can coordinate care, demystify the process and relieve unnecessary distress, both for the patient and for family and other caregivers."

With the implementation of the ONP specialty, the School of Nursing will offer a concentration of study in palliative care. This concentration will include alternative/complementary therapies, symptom management, managing care of families in the home and end-of-life care.

The ONP specialty draws on the School of Nursing's strength in cancer practice and research. Earlier this year, the school celebrated the opening of the Center for Excellence in Chronic Illness Care under the direction of noted cancer researcher Ruth McCorkle. The center focuses on quality of life interventions for people with cancer, AIDS/HIV, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Master's and post-master's admission is available for this fall. For more information about the ONP program, call the School of Nursing at 785-2389.

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New degree program to prepare oncology nurse practitioners
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Campus Notes