Draft Prospectus Development of the prospectus is an iterative process that lays the foundation for your DPI Project. The prospectus will also assist your project chair in providing valuable feedback

The 10 Strategic Points

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Broad Topic Area

1. Broad Topic Area:

Effectiveness of competency-based behavioral interventions for palliative care centers in improving pain offered to patients with advanced cancer within 4 weeks.

Literature Review

1. Literature Review:

1. Background of the Problem/Gap:

• Patients with advanced cancer often experience poor health-related quality of life due to cancer and treatment-related side effects (Jacob, et al., 2019).

• Cancer is a leading cause of mortality in the world, it imposes a substantial economic burden on the society.

• The purpose of palliative care is to improve the quality of life of patients and their families facing progressive illness by managing pain and symptoms.

• It has been found that majority of nurses do not have adequate knowledge about palliative care (Turan, Mankan, & Polat, 2017)

1. Theoretical Foundations (models and theories to be foundation for the project):

Trait theory can aid in comprehending the individual traits essential for effectively carrying out duties (Fukada, 2018).

The social learning theory affords critical info on communicating the need to give meaning on what nurses are learning, the importance of learning by doing, how to foster learning by promoting a sense of belonging, and how the learning process converts personal identity (Cubas et al., 2015).

1. Review of Literature Topics with Key Organizing Concepts or Topics for Each One

Key Topic:

There is no cure for cancer cure, but successful treatment can remove most of its symptoms or aid in managing them.

Cancer converts to being incurable if it spreads to other parts of the body, grows to be too big for treatment to work, and/or reoccurs even after treatment.

Late diagnosis of cancer makes it hard to kill all cancer cells. In this situation, cancer can only be controlled but not cured.

When the health status of a patient diagnosed with cancer deteriorates to a condition when he or she can’t live alone and has no one to care for him\her, and/or needs professional care, palliative care is sometimes the best option for this patient.

Key Topic:

Competency-based behavioral interventions to improve the quality of care for persons undergoing cancer treatment or are receiving or recovering from cancer treatment (Cox, Smith, & Lichtved, 2012).

Competency-based program is effective in successful training of competent radiation oncologists (Khader, Al-Mousa, Khatib, & Wadi-Ramahi, 2019).

1. Summary

• Prior studies:

• Prior research has shown that competency-based behavioral training for family caregivers is operative in improving the skills of healthcare professionals. Another research study found that evidence-based education programs aid in enhancing care for patients requiring palliative care.

• Quantitative application:

• The study will involve collecting quantitative data to determine the relationship between competency-based behavioral interventions and improvement of pain for patients with advanced cancer and under palliative care.

Problem Statement

1. Problem Statement:

While literature indicates that competency-based education programs augment palliative care for patients in acute care hospitals, it is also unknown whether training staff with competency-based education programs will improve pain for cancer patients requiring end-of-life care.

Clinical/
PICOT Questions

1. Clinical/PICOT Questions:

To what extent does a competency-based behavioral intervention offered to adult patients with advanced cancer, improve _pain_ at a healthcare care center in Montgomery, Al over a period of 4 weeks?

Sample

1. Sample (and Location):

a. Location: East Montgomery

b. Population: Nursing homes in Montgomery, Alabama with residents comprised of individuals with advanced cancer.

c. Sample: 10 patients experiencing advanced cancer

Define Variables

1. Define Variables:

1. Independent Variable: Competency-based behavioral intervention

2. Dependent Variable: Pain score

Methodology and Design

Methodology and Design:

The study will use a quantitative methodology with a quasi-experimental design with repeated measures (immediate pre- and post-training intervention). There will be an interventional group and a control group. The intervention group will receive the competency-based behavioral intervention and the control group will not receive the competency-based behavioral intervention

Purpose Statement

Purpose Statement: The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to determine to what degree a relationship exists between equipping nursing home staff using new skills and competencies using a curriculum-based behavioral training curriculum and improving pain for cancer patients in the nursing homes within four weeks at nursing homes located in East Montgomery, Alabama. The type of competencies the intervention group will be equipped with during the training will define the independent variable. The dependent variable will be the pain score.

Data Collection Approach

Data Collection Approach: The study will collect data using Perceived Behavioral Management Self-Efficacy Profile, Agitation Management Self-efficacy, and Preparedness and Competence Scales. These instruments will be issued before the training and 2 weeks after the training.

Data Analysis Approach

Data Analysis Approach: The study will analyze demographic characteristics using descriptive statistics using means for continuous variables and counts/percentages for categorical variables. The ANOVA analysis will determine the impacts of competency based behavioral interventions on advanced cancer patients in the nursing homes. Independent t-tests will help in determining the differences between the interventional and control groups for competency-based training.