# Preparing Oncology Advanced Practice Nurses as Generalists in Palliative Care

> **NIH NIH R25** · BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE/CITY OF HOPE · 2023 · $183,097

## Abstract

This R25 renewal application supports an innovative skills development program to educate
the current nursing workforce to meet the nation's need for palliative care in oncology. By
utilizing a skills-based innovative program to educate Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(APRNs), this proposal will equip and expand the nursing workforce to meet a critical need for
palliative care in oncology. This renewal continues the very successful initial oncology APRN
training course. The Specific Aims are:
Specific Aim 1: Revise the ELNEC (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium) Advanced
Practice Nursing curriculum based on the courses held to date to train oncology nurses as
generalist palliative care providers and leaders.
Specific Aim 2: Deliver the curriculum in five national workshops to competitively selected
oncology APRNs from National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated clinical and comprehensive
cancer centers, as well as community cancer centers.
Specific Aim 3: Evaluate the impact of the curriculum by measuring the process and outcomes
of participants' integrating the training to advance palliative care practices at their institutions.
Specific Aim 4: Disseminate findings through peer-reviewed publications, oncology
organizations, and professional networks, and develop a network of course participants to share
experiences in integrating palliative care at participating cancer centers.
Rigorous research has amassed a body of evidence documenting palliative care benefits for
cancer patients and their families and identifying opportunities to improve cancer patient care.
Despite proven benefits, there
oncology
Previous
palliative
demonstrate
is often no system in place to provide concurrent palliative and
care and cancer patients often decline palliative care, even when it is available.
systematic reviews have highlighted the need to train oncology professionals to deliver
care. Outcomes from courses 1-4 in the current R25 training program have
success in the project aims and impact on practice.This innovative program
focuses on APRNs in cancer centers, who are models of leadership and best care available for
patients. These nurses can serve as palliative care generalists to collaborate with specialty
palliative care. A total of 400 participants from cancer centers will participate in one of five
courses.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10550447
- **Project number:** 2R25CA217270-06A1
- **Recipient organization:** BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE/CITY OF HOPE
- **Principal Investigator:** BETTY R FERRELL
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $183,097
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2017-08-16 → 2028-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10550447

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10550447, Preparing Oncology Advanced Practice Nurses as Generalists in Palliative Care (2R25CA217270-06A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10550447. Licensed CC0.

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