Master of Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing

Master of Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing

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Introduction

The need for higher education opportunities for cancer nurses has never been more necessary than now as cancer incidence and mortality rate continue to rise in Palestine. To fulfill this need, Bethlehem University – Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences provides The Master’s Program in “Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing”.

The Master of Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing is designed to provide nurses working in the oncology settings the opportunity to deepen and broaden their knowledge and skills. It capacitates the students to engage with the theoretical and practical components in the field of oncology and palliative care, and to develop and lead services in cancer prevention, treatment and support, in addition to palliative care and end-of-life care, which may begin to change the impact of this devastating disease in Palestine.

The Master is identified as the first specialized accredited master program that tapped the Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing field in whole Palestine, after 4 years of delivering a high diploma degree specialized in the same field by Bethlehem University – Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Bethlehem University – Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences got the accreditation on September 19^th, 2019. And so now, we are receiving applications for review to select the best candidates to start the new cycle with them for Spring 2023.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Faculty of Nursing and Health Science is to improve the health status of people with cancer through educating and up-skilling qualified nurses in the best oncologic and palliative care practice. They will develop the ability to provide good quality, evidence-based, comprehensive assessment, and care, be committed to quality improvement and accountability, use clinical judgment to apply evidence-based approaches to improve the outcomes of people with cancer and their families. A holistic and compassionate approach focusing on the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients will be embraced and modelled. In addition, students will advance the science of cancer by using and participating in research.

The Objectives of the program

• Significant benefits for Palestinian cancer patients arising from care delivered by a more knowledgeable and skilled nursing workforce
• Dissemination of good cancer care practice throughout the nursing and medical community through sharing of best practice
• The establishment of leaders and role models in cancer nursing practice in Palestine
• The emergence of more motivated and confident cancer nurses capable of reflective practice, critical thinking, and decision-making
• Enthusiasm and desire for cancer nurses to embrace more responsibility resulting from greater knowledge.
• Potential for the emergence of Palestinian cancer nursing research
• An ability to constructively criticize bad or outdated practice and be an agent for change in cancer and palliative care in Palestine
• To enable cancer nursing to be a more attractive career choice
• For nurses to gain added respect from medical colleagues
• For graduates of the program to become educators on future oncology and palliative nursing programs.

Anticipated outcomes from the program

The outcomes from the Master’s in Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing and the improvements in cancer patient management following the implementation of the program are expected to be significant. The expected outcomes are:

• Demonstrate clinical competency when providing quality nursing care to cancer patients
• Achieve a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology of cancer and oncologic disorders
• Be competent in the clinical diagnosis and management of oncologic disorders
• Gain an understanding of clinical trials methodology and acquire competence in a selected research area
• Develop and evaluate a personal philosophy of oncology nursing based on the program philosophy through the process of reflective practice.
• Increase the focus on research in the field of Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing

To apply for the program of study applicants must:

• Hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an acknowledged university
• Have experience in oncology and/or palliative care nursing

Eligibility for the full Masters

In order to ensure their successful completion of the Master’s in Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing, applicants must have successfully completed their Bachelor Degree in Nursing with an average grade greater than or equal to 75% (>2.5 GPA). This point is to ensure only those who are likely to be successful in all elements of the Master’s are admitted to the program.

Degree requirements

To earn a Master’s degree in “Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing”, a student has to complete 39 credits hours over five semesters including summer.  The program is a part-time 2 days/week.