Evaluation of an educational program for nurses providing cancer symptom management: The pan-Canadian Oncology Symptom Triage and Remote Support Online Tutorial

Abstract

Purpose: Evaluate the pan-Canadian Oncology Symptom Triage and Remote Support (COSTaRS) open-access online tutorial. Methods: Retrospective pre-/post-test evaluation of nurses who completed the tutorial knowledge test and/or acceptability survey. The tutorial was modeled after the previously evaluated in-person workshop to prepare nurses providing cancer symptom management using COSTaRS practice guides. Results: From 2017-2021, 743 nurses completed the knowledge test and 749 nurses evaluated the tutorial. Mean knowledge score was 4.4/6 and 83% of participants achieved passing scores. Compared to pre-tutorial, nurses improved their perceived confidence in assessing, triaging, guiding patients in self-care (p<0.001), and ability to use the COSTaRS guides (p<0.001). Nurses rated the tutorial as easy to understand (95%), just the right amount of information (92%), providing new information (75%), overall good to excellent (89%), and would recommend to others (83%). Conclusions: Over 700 nurses accessed the tutorial. After completion, nurses demonstrated good knowledge and improved perceived confidence in cancer symptom management.