Revision of an undergraduate nursing oncology course using the Taylor Curriculum Review Process

Abstract

Patients diagnosed with cancer require intensive nursing care and support across all healthcare settings (Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology [CANO], 2015). Advances in this nursing specialty and the resulting changes to practice add to the complexity of the nursing role. Clinical improvements impact the preparation of nursing students transitioning into this area of practice. The inclusion of an oncology curriculum in undergraduate programs can help to develop fundamental competencies for undergraduates in this specialty (Lockhart et al., 2013). A fourth-year undergraduate nursing oncology course was recently evaluated at the University of Calgary to ensure content was congruent with current practice. Since the course was initially developed in 2011, there have only been minor updates, potentially resulting in out-of-date content. A curriculum review process outlined by the Taylor Institute of Teaching and Learning was used to complete this course revision (Dyjur & Kalu, 2016). The findings of this course revision indicate the need to provide more student-centred learning, to discuss the implementation of recent treatments, and to provide more clinically centered literature on recent developments in oncology.