Newswise — The de Souza Institute, a program dedicated to providing Ontarians with the world's best cancer nursing care, is investing $1.4 million in the province's 14 regional cancer centres for information technology and a space for nurses to learn.
The mandate of the Institute, the first of its kind in Canada, is to develop and provide innovative education and mentorship programs for oncology nurses in a virtual centre. Information technology tools will enable the Institute to reach out into every corner of the province to provide a mix of academic instruction using tele-health and other e-learning methods.
"Oncology nurses are the front-line of patient-centred cancer care and our goal is to make every cancer nurse in Ontario a de Souza nurse. We will also offer de Souza programs to nurses working outside cancer centers who see oncology patients and to nurses based in community health centres ," says Dr. Mary Jane Esplen, Director of the Institute. "We will do this by building the specialized skills, lifelong learning and strategies every nurse can use to improve patient and family cancer care across Ontario. We will also focus on helping nurses improve the balance in their own lives to avoid professional burnout."
And the first "class" of de Souza nurses is already hard at work " more than 150 are enrolled and preparing to take the Canadian Nursing Association (CNA) certification exam in oncology nursing or palliative care in the spring. The CNA exam is open to all nurses and includes topics ranging from symptom management, knowledge of specific cancers, psychosocial and spiritual care.
The de Souza Institute course planning is underway and will focus on areas with known knowledge gaps including, grief management, genetics, psychosocial oncology and chemotherapy standardization.
Premier Dalton McGuinty launched the de Souza Institute in May 2008 by announcing $15 million of provincial funding over five years. The Institute is named after Anna Maria de Souza, the founder of the Brazilian Ball, an event which has raised millions of dollars for philanthropic causes, including oncology nursing at Princess Margaret Hospital, where she died in 2007.
Dr. Esplen is currently on the road visiting Ontario's 14 regional cancer centres with a stop in Sudbury on March 23.
About the de Souza Institute The de Souza Institute is a knowledge-transfer centre for oncology nursing at Princess Margaret Hospital. Established in May 2008 with a $15 million funding boost from the Nursing Secretariat of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Institute's steering committee includes members from Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, Cancer Care Ontario, University of Toronto and McMaster University who ensure nurses provide the best cancer care to Ontarians. For more information, contact Susan Clarke at 416-340-6269 or visit http://www.desouzastudy.com/
About Princess Margaret HospitalPrincess Margaret Hospital and its research arm, Ontario Cancer Institute, have achieved an international reputation as global leaders in the fight against cancer. Princess Margaret Hospital is a member of University Health Network, which also includes Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital. All three are research hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto.
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