(65) Bridging Borders in Pediatric Oncology Nursing Education: A Collaborative Training Initiative Between Brazil And Mozambique

Title: Bridging Borders in Pediatric Oncology Nursing Education: A Collaborative Training Initiative Between Brazil And Mozambique

Abstract : Basis of inquiry
Specialized pediatric oncology nursing programs are scarce in many limited resources setting such as Mozambique. To bridge this gap, a 2-phase training program was developed for pediatric oncology nurses in Mozambique: phase 1 is online theory and phase 2 is clinical practice with hands on learning in Brazil. Leveraging on the shared language, the training incorporated hands on practice to enhance knowledge and skill acquisition.
Purpose
The study describes the first phase of online training for nurses in Mozambique, while evaluating participants performance and feedback to assess impact and identify areas for improvement.
Methods
We identified online pediatric oncology nurse training courses available in Brazil and enrolled nurses from Mozambique. The courses were self-paced and included a live session on completion of each course. A senior nurse educator from Brazil, facilitated the live session, to clarify unclear concepts and reinforce content. Pre and posttest were administered to assess the course’s impact, and an evaluation of delivery and content was done on completion of each course. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Findings
All nurses (n-10) in pediatric oncology unit were enrolled to two online courses. Registered nurses (n-2) and technical nurses (n-8). There was a notable increase in knowledge from pretest (69%) to posttest (81%) for the first course and from 79% to 89% on the second course. 75% of the nurses were satisfied with the module content, reporting strong agreement of 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. Nurses cited difficulty viewing some of the videos due to limited internet bandwidth on cellular devices.
Based on the feedback, we modified videos in subsequent courses to improve accessibility for the learners while ensuring content and clarity was not affected. The training program is currently ongoing.