Evaluation of the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia mentorship program for cancer nurse practitioners: brief research report

Introduction Cancer nurse practitioners (CNPs) provide specialized care for patients with complex cancer needs. CNPs undertake advanced assessment, diagnosis, prescribing, and management of treatment-related toxicities and end-of-life care. Beyond clinical care, Nurse Practitioners (NPs) engage in leadership, education, and research. However, many student and novice CNPs report challenges developing confidence and capability across all domains. Structured mentorship may support this transition. Methods A one-year mentorship program matched novice/student CNPs with experienced CNPs. As part of this program, a self-assessment instrument—the Nurse Practitioner Self-Assessment Tool (NP-SAT)—was developed, validated and piloted to measure participants’ knowledge, skills, and confidence. A mixed-methods design incorporated surveys and semi-structured interviews with student and newly endorsed CNPs ( N = 10) and their mentors ( N = 10) to identify perceived needs and elicit enablers and barriers to their role transition. Results Participants worked in metropolitan (50%) and regional/rural (50%) settings, with most (80%) in public healthcare. Post-program, there were statistically significant increases in clinical knowledge and research domains. Participants were satisfied and found the program feasible. Conclusion This study is the first to develop and implement a cancer nurse practitioner mentorship program. The validated tool may inform future CNP workforce and education strategies and be adapted for other NP specialties. Despite reported positive outcomes, and good feasibility and acceptability, due to the limited sample size and absence of a control group, the findings regarding the program’s effectiveness should be regarded as preliminary.