Advanced Practice Nursing in Head and Neck Cancer: Implementation of Five Roles

Purpose/Objectives: To apply the five roles of advanced practice nurses (APNs) (administrator, educator, clinician, researcher, and consultant) to the management of patients with head and neck cancer.

Data Sources: Research reports, clinical papers, practice guidelines, clinical experience.

Data Synthesis: APNs assess, conceptualize, and analyze complex patient data. As represented in the five roles, these abilities promote patients' development and implementation of survival skills. These roles were integrated into a cancer resource center, a collaborative endeavor providing patients, families, and community resources with support for coping with the complex issues facing them.

Conclusions: The application of the five roles to this specialized nursing area enables patients to develop survival skills and can provide a framework for support.

Implications for Nursing: Application of APN roles promotes development and implementation of survival skills in patients with head and neck cancer, enhancing their qualityandquantityoflifeandimprovingcompliancewithtreatment.