Background:
Lung cancer care is complex, requiring coordination across screening, diagnosis, treatment, supportive/survivorship care, and end-of life care. Traditional health service models can often fragment care and place significant burden on people affected by lung cancer to navigate multiple providers and settings. Advanced practice oncology nurses are uniquely positioned to reduce fragmentation and deliver timely, integrated person-centred care across the entire cancer continuum.
Aims:
To describe the evolving roles of advanced practice oncology nurses (clinical nurse consultant and nurse practitioner) across the entire lung cancer continuum, demonstrating how advanced practice nursing models generate contemporary lung cancer services with precision, protection and performance.
Methods:
A review of national evidence-based frameworks, optimal care pathways, critical nursing literature, and real-world advanced practice within a tertiary lung cancer service was conducted. Key evidence on advanced practice roles across diverse settings, including outpatient clinics, day therapy units, and rapid access services has been summarised. Core nursing domains, clinical practice, education, leadership and management, and research and innovation, have been reviewed.
Results:
Advanced practice oncology nurses improve timeliness of care, reduce avoidable presentations, increase receipt of anti-cancer therapy, support treatment adherence and enhance patient experience with proactive comprehensive assessment, symptom management, and continuity of care. Nurse-led models facilitate earlier identification of complications, strengthen communication between specialties, and improve access for patients in regional and outer-metropolitan settings.
Conclusions:
Advanced oncology nurses represent a scalable workforce solution that can strengthen precision care, protect patients through early intervention, and optimise system performance through coordinated, whole-of-journey models. Expanding and embedding advanced nursing roles in lung cancer services is an important strategy for sustainable, high-quality care in Australia.