This unique programme will emphasize the development of nurses' assessment, communication, and supportive care skills to assist patients and their families in coping with the impact of cancer as a chronic illness. Through the development of problem-solving and critical appraisal skills, students will be able to apply current research data to clinical practice and will be prepared to meet the challenges of rapid advances in cancer treatment and technology within the climate of fiscal restraint. The Standards of Oncology Nursing Practice defined by the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology are incorporated throughout the nursing theory and clinical practice courses. The knowledge and skills required in the health care field are changing rapidly. In McMaster's Nursing Programme, faculty members act as facilitators, guiding groups of students through carefully designed health care problems.
Students are responsible for their own learning, as well as that of other group members.
Typical, real-life situations that a nurse may encounter are used to identify learning issues for the group or individual students. One such situation, for example, may involve a young married couple whose first child has just been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Student groups work their way through a variety of health care situations. The flexibility of the Programme allows students to select topics that meet their particular learning needs. Learning at McMaster takes place in an environment conducive to openness and sharing among faculty and students.