CNSA Research Grant Recipient: Meet Ashlee and find out more about her project
Tell us briefly about yourself and your current role in cancer care.
I am a Registered Nurse with a varied clinical background across rural and tertiary paediatric and adult intensive and acute care environments, culminating in an appointment as a McGrath Breast Care Nurse. I have a Master of Public Health and have a strong interest in health equity in breast cancer survivorship. I am now a Nursing Academic at the University of Southern Queensland and a provisional PhD candidate, focusing on improving access to cancer care, particularly in the breast cancer survivorship setting.
In simple terms, what is your research project about and what problem are you trying to address?
The project funded by CNSA is a cost analysis of a nurse-led teleoncology service supporting the delivery of systemic anti-cancer therapies to rural and remote cancer patients in their local hospital. We are investigating whether delivering cancer care at a rural hospital under the supervision of a Teleoncology Clinical Nurse Consultant at a regional cancer centre via telehealth is economically sustainable. We are comparing the health system costs pre and post the implementation of the Teleoncology model of care in the Darling Downs and Southwest Hospital and Health Services. Literature shows that telemedicine improves access and equity for patients living in rural and remote Australia, however, strong economic evidence is needed to support long-term funding and scalability of such models of care. Although patients strongly support the Teleoncology Service, we are unsure what the true costs and benefits of the nurse-led teleoncology model are. Therefore, our project aims for provide the financial evidence needed to support to continuation and growth of this service.
Why is this issue important for patients, families, or the cancer nursing workforce right now?
People living in rural and remote areas often travel long distances to receive cancer treatment. This exposes them to financial strain due to travel and accommodation costs and loss of income, and extended time away from family and support network. However, distance does not just lead to inconvenience, it can influence treatment decisions. Some patients may decline delay or choose less intensive or less effective therapies because of the burden of travel. That has implications for patient outcomes and equity of care. At the same time, health services are under increasing pressure to deliver high-quality care with limited resources. We need models that are both clinically safe and economically sustainable. Nurse-led teleoncology models help address these challenges. They improve access to specialist support while also expanding the scope of rural facilities by training and supporting registered nurses to safely deliver systemic anti-cancer therapies locally. This strengthens the rural workforce, builds local capability, and keeps care closer to home.
What difference do you hope your project will make to practice, patient experience, or outcomes?
We hope that this cost analysis will demonstrate that a nurse-led teleoncology model of care is financially feasible and sustainable. If we can demonstrate that this model works economically, it strengthens the case for other health services to adopt it. For patients, it means receiving cancer care closer to home, remaining within their support network, and maintaining some normality during treatment.
Looking ahead, what do you see as key priorities for the future of cancer nursing, and how does research play a role?
Two key priorities stand out when: workforce sustainability and the rapid growth of regional areas placing increasing pressures on health services. Regional populations are expanding, and the strain is being felt by regional oncology services. If we don’t rethink how cancer care is delivered, the demand will outweigh the operational capacity of the regional facilities. Workforce shortages are being felt throughout Australia, but especially in regional, rural and remote areas, where they face burnout and recruitment challenges. Cancer nursing must expand to advanced practice roles with nurse-led models of care to build capacity to deliver cancer care. Training and supporting rural registered nurses to safely deliver systemic anti-cancer therapies locally will take on some of the burden felt by the regional cancer centres. Research like ours is critical to provide the evidence to justify new models of care, secure funding, and guide workforce planning.
What does receiving a CNSA research grant mean to you, and what advice would you give to other cancer nurses considering research?
Receiving support from CNSA as an early career researcher gives me confidence that this research will address a meaningful gap in cancer care. Having access to a research grant allows us to conduct this study promptly, so that the findings are made available sooner to inform practice, funding decisions, and service design. For cancer nurses considering dipping their toe into research, you are the ones who live this every day. You know what the challenges are in cancer care. You are well placed to conduct research, whether it be a quality improvement project or something much bigger. As an early career researcher, I cannot stress the importance of having a mentor and networking to find collaborators. You don’t need to go it alone!
