UP FRONT
Advanced Practice Perspectives
In this edition, Tiffany Richards, MS, ANP, AOCNP, discusses the balancing act
of being a patient advocate — how to help patients without taking control away
from them.
ONS, ASH,
and APAO
Offering
Post-Master’s
Foundation in
Hematology
Being a Patient Advocate:
The Balance of Helping without Hurting
Engaging in patient advocacy
means walking a fine line:
Although we want to help patients
in any way we can, the last thing
we want to do is take control away
from them when they may have
already lost so much, through their
illness. They may feel they don’t
have control over their cancer,
nor over how they’re feeling, but
they do have control over their
treatment. What we’re charged
with, as practitioners, is helping
patients maintain control over what
they choose to be in control of and
helping them navigate the healthcare environment.
For advanced practice
practitioners (APPs), patient
advocacy can take many forms
– from educating patients about
their disease, to facilitating
communication between physicians
and patients, to speaking at events
organized by patient advocacy
groups – but the principles of
ASHClinicalNews.org
patient advocacy and empowerment
go hand-in-hand with what APPs
do every day.
Advocating for Advocacy
Volunteering time to work with
patient advocacy groups may not
appear to have anything to do with
my job but, in reality, my work with
these groups has been extremely
helpful to my work as an APP.
Partnering with patient advocacy
groups is a two-way street: helping
these organizations helps me do my
job better.
I have been involved with
several patient advocacy groups,
such as the International Myeloma
Foundation, the Leukemia and
Lymphoma Society, and the Multiple
Myeloma Research Foundation.
The work varies based on the
organization; I may be asked to
speak at a workshop for patients
and caregivers or attend a scientific
meeting and write down my
observations so that they can be shared
with patients who want a clinician’s
take on newly presented data.
By maintaining close ties with
patient advocacy groups, I am better
able to inform my patients about
tools and resources that may help
them better manage their disease.
For example, many organizations
have co-payment assistance
programs, patient education
materials, support helplines, and
information about clinical trials.
Patient advocacy groups are also
dedicated to supporting legislation
that would benefit the patients they
represent. Fortunately, we are able
to take advantage of their efforts on
behalf of our patients.
For example, when changes take
place in the legal system, we need to
be able to tell patients about these
changes so that we – or our patients
– can contact insurance companies
to ensure that patients are getting the
appropriate coverage.
The online course, which is a
joint collaboration with the
Oncology Nursing Society
(ONS) and the Association
of Physician Assistants in
Oncology (APAO), is designed
for nurse practitioners, clinical
nurse specialists, and physician assistants who are new
to hematology. Participants
will receive an in-depth look
at issues related to malignant
and nonmalignant disorders,
including thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis,
leukopenia and leukocytosis,
thrombosis and hemostasis, transfusion medicine,
lymphomas, and more than 10
additional topics. The course
outline, learning objectives,
and registration information
are available at www.ons.org/
content/post-master’s-foundation-hematology.
This course is available on
demand; participants will gain
immediate access upon registration and have access for
up to six months. Certification
for Nurse Educators (CNE) and
Continuing Medical Education
(CME) will be available upon
successful completion.
To obtain a discount code
for the program, contact ASH
Customer Relations by going
to www.hematology.org/
About/Contact-Us.aspx. Help
spread the word; encourage
you colleagues to sign up.
ASH Clinical News
15