Impact of the clinical nurse specialist role for the myeloproliferative neoplasm program: Part Two - The team and patient care experiences.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are a group of rare clonal disorders of hematopoietic progenitor cells associated with disease- related symptoms, thrombotic events, and risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (Tefferi, 2021). Their relative rarity and complexity of care led to the establishment of the MPN program at the Princess Margaret (PM) Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada. The MPN program utilizes a shared-care model wherein partnering with local hematologists (shared-care partners) ensures that patients have access to a MPN specialist while continuing to receive care close to home. The clinical nurse specialist (CNS) role was implemented in late 2016 to support not only the shared-care model, but also to triage new patient referrals, and support consultation and follow-up. Although the CNS role has been part of the healthcare system since the 1940s, the role and its impact remain unclear at times to the inter-disciplinary team. This paper describes the process and results in evaluating the CNS role's impact in the MPN program through using a multi-method approach. In this Part II of a series, the focus is on discussing the team and patient care experience with having a CNS as part of the care team.