The SIOP Nursing Steering Group and Baseline Standards Task Force are calling for applications from SIOP nurses to become the first group of QI Scholars to enroll in the SIOP Quality Improvement Nurse Scholars Program. This program is designed to foster development of team projects to promote excellence in care of the child with cancer and their families. Development of a QI program will provide an organized approach to integrating evidence-based practice that will have an ultimate benefit of improving care for children with cancer and their families. This program supports multidisciplinary QI teams, led by a QI nurse scholar, at childhood cancer centers around the world.

QI Program Overview
The QI program begins with an online MOODLE course on the Fundamentals of Quality Improvement (Jan-May 2023). During the course, SIOP QI Nurse Scholars develop a QI project with their onsite team. QI Nurse Scholars and their teams meet bi-monthly on ZOOM to share progress. Upon completion of the course, QI Nurse Scholars and their teams will work with a mentor to implement the QI project at their site (June-September).

QI Online Course Objectives

  • Review essential attributes of quality Improvement and its role in healthcare systems.
  • Explore QI designs to improve care for a cancer/hematologic problem.
  • Learn how to write SMART specific aims.
  • Evaluate ways to influence change to improve care quality (how to move change).
  • Define key components for measuring practice change.
  • Study the RE-AIM framework for evaluating QI effectiveness.

QI Scholars Mentorship
During months June-September the first PDSA cycle of the project will be implemented with the support of an assigned SIOP nurse mentor.
The project will be presented at a special symposium at the 2023 SIOP Annual Congress.

Eligibility requirements (all must be met below for project lead)

  • SIOP Nurse Member
  • Minimum of 5 Years Pediatric Oncology Nursing experience
  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing
  • Internet Access go online course
  • Able to attend every other week ZOOM QI Scholar program meetings from January-September 2023
  • Availability of 2-4 team members to participate from their site (at least one non-nursing member and they are not required to be SIOP members)
  • Site administrator approval to conduct a QI project at your institution

Application Due Date
Applications are due by December 15, 2022. The application, CV/resume or bio sketch of the Nurse QI Scholar applicant, and one letter for a direct supervisor is required (the letter must confirm support of implementation of the QI project at your site). Please send the application and attachments to Dr. Marilyn Hockenberry by email at marilyn.hockenberry@bcm.edu.

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by email by January 9, 2023.

Download the application here!

Warm regards!

Courtney Sullivan, PhD, APRN
SIOP Nursing Network Chair
on behalf of the SIOP Nursing Network Steering Group