Incorporating critical care oncology nursing in a baccalaureate of science in nursing curriculum.

Undergraduate nursing curricula traditionally provide a superficial overview of oncology with only a passing mention of critical care oncology concepts. With an unprecedented nursing shortage predicted in the coming decade and acute care facilities likely to overflow with an elderly, chronically ill patient population, nursing education programs must strive to assure that nursing curriculum remains relevant in the face of these future challenges and changes in health care. Rather than require employers to provide the oncology education needed by the nursing staff during the orientation period, undergraduate nursing programs must accept the commitment to provide a stronger oncology and critical care nursing knowledge base in the basic nursing curriculum. This article describes how the baccalaureate degree nursing program at Houston Baptist University accepted this challenge and incorporated content on the management of oncologic emergencies within an existing critical care nursing course. Discussion of the development of the oncology content and the benefits of incorporating the content within a critical care nursing framework are also provided.