Improving nursing staff understanding, comfort, and confidence in discussing oncology supportive care clinical trials through structured intervention

Abstract

Clinical trials expand supportive care options for oncology patients, yet busy clinic workflows and staff uncertainty often limit discussions about and referrals to trials. This project implemented a brief, site-tailored in-service with a five-week follow-up at the Kapi‘olani Women’s Cancer Center to improve nurses’ understanding, comfort, and confidence discussing supportive care trials and to normalize brief, routine trial conversations in clinic flow. Five registered nurses completed matched pre-implementation, post-implementation, and five-week follow-up using a 5-point Likert scale aligned to three areas: understanding, comfort, and confidence. Scores increased from pre- to post-implementation and were sustained throughout the five-weeks. However, brochure distribution (used as a proxy for referrals) was low, indicating practical barriers. Qualitative feedback indicated nurses’ understanding, comfort, and confidence improved, but highlighted time and access constraints. The intervention consisted of two in-person educational sessions, offered individually or in small groups, which created an approachable and supportive learning environment. Existing brochures and resources were used to facilitate effective clinician-patient communication, and staff were encouraged to practice new skills during patient interactions. Through structured training and ongoing support, the project sought to ensure nurses were well-informed about clinical trials, thus enhancing the quality of care for oncology patients. Despite improvements in nurse-reported measures, findings suggest future efforts should focus on integrating trial discussions into workflow and developing point-of-care tools to bridge the gap between readiness and routine clinical practice.