Nursing provides the backbone for daily patient care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Cancer patients are a specialized group of patients who require specialized nursing care, and the provision of highly skilled and specialized oncology nursing care is essential in fulfilling our mission of quality patient care.

Our vision is to provide KHCC with a team of highly qualified and motivated nurses that are going to play an important role in establishing an excellent base for oncology nursing in Jordan and the region.

Staff
KHCC has on staff 560 nurses, of whom 457 are registered nurses. This means that patients get more individual attention, which is crucial for cancer patients who are often quite ill and have many special needs. KHCC has an excellent and unique nursing education program that is headed by an exceptional team of leaders.

Services:
The nursing staff, throughout all of the departments, is fully trained to all required competencies for their units. Nurses are aware of emotional and psychological factors stressing patient and their families. To help facilitate smooth cooperation and administration of all treatment and procedures, our nurses treat each patient as individuals with distinctive needs. Our nurses work under one of the following services:

1. Medical – surgical unit
   A total of three mixed units, dedicated as medical / surgical with a 70 bed capacity. The staff of the medical surgery unit is trained to all required competencies for their units, which include:
   • Administration of intensive chemotherapy
   • Chemo certified
   • Venous access device (certified)
   • Pain management techniques
   • Physical assessment
   • Unit-base procedural competency
2. Intensive care unit (I.C.U)
   The ICU is an eleven-bed unit utilizing current technology. Nursing assignments reflect an emphasis on the management of patient acuity and psychological needs of recovery post surgery and those suffering from acute oncological complications. In addition to general competencies, the ICU has an excellent nurse to patient ratio. The department of nursing provides preceptor orientation for RNs who have not had previous ICU experience.
   
   The ICU nursing staff is trained to all required competences, which include:
   • Physical assessment
   • Into ropes administration
   • Central line management
   • Cardiac monitoring
   • Oxygen and respiratory therapy
   • echanical ventilation
   • Suctioning
   • Pain management
3. Bone Marrow Transplant (B.M.T)A 10 bed unit with an occupancy rate of 95%. All nurses in the unit are certified for chemo administration and venous access devices. Nurses are aware of the importance of stressing patient and family education, to allow their understanding and cooperation of all procedures and treatments taking place during hospital stays, as well as post discharge.The BMT staff is trained to all required competences, which include:
   • Physical assessment
   • Bone marrow aspirate biopsy
   • Stem cell administration
   • T.P.N administration
   • Oxygen and respiratory therapy
   • Cardiac monitoring
4. Pediatrics in-patient services
   All nurses in the unit are certified for chemo administration and venous access devices. Nurses are aware of the importance of stressing patient and family education, to allow their understanding and cooperation of all procedures and treatments taking place during hospital stays, as well as post discharge.
   The Pediatrics nursing staff is trained to all required competences, which include:
   •  Administration of intensive chemotherapy
   • Chemo certification
   • Venous access device (certified)
   • Pain management techniques
   • Physical assessment (age specific assessment)
   • Unit-base procedural competency
5. Operating room (O.R)
   The nursing staff takes turns in the scrubbing and circulating duties. A floater remains as a circulator in order to be available to service every room, where assistance is required. Surgical classification in practice includes:
   • Gynecology
   • Urology
   • Ophthalmology
   • E.N.T
   • Laparoscopic surgery
   • Head and Neck
   • Neuro – surgery
   • Thoracic surgery
   • Rescular surgery
   • Pediatric surgery
6. Out patient services:
   1. Endoscopy (endoscopy, minor procedure bronchoscopy)
      All are staffed by trained registered nurses and technicians.
   2. Chemotherapy unit:
      The infusion area is the location where all out patients receive treatment. Nurses working in this area administer chemotherapy immune therapy and transfusion support.
   3. Several multidisciplinary programs are operated within the center and presence of RNs is obvious in providing care, support and coordination of services. These programs are staffed with clinical coordinating nurses. The nurse coordinator is considered to be an advanced new role in the nursing practice in Jordan and enhances the role of involving nurses in the planning of patient care.

Education & Training Activities:
Providing ongoing medical education opportunities for our nursing staff has always been a priority. The nursing education and training program at KHCC is committed to producing nursing of quality and distinction. The department is continually involved in ongoing efforts to train new and current staff nurses, helping them to excel in their fields. The formation of a program that creates leaders in the field of nursing is a goal that KHCC has extended beyond the center's borders, as it reaches out to professionals across the country. Seminars and training workshops are offered for the betterment of the KHCC and local staff, their patients, and students in the region.

Our Nurses education program includes the following activities:

• General nursing orientation program
• Courses
• Lectures
• Nursing journal club
• Training modules
• Conferences
• Workshops
• Committees
• Clinical rounds
• Clinical skills laboratory
   

Our goals:

Better Patient Care

• Improved academic levels of staff means that nurses are better qualified to care for their patients.
• Improved nurse to patient ratios means that there are more nurses to care for each patient.
• We have more support staff to reduce the non-nursing responsibilities placed on nurses in the past.
• Our nurses have training in crucial patient care areas such as CPR, IV care, infection control, and chemotherapy administration.

Better Patient Safety

• We practice according to policies and procedures that have been formatted and implemented in accordance to established international practice guidelines.
• Improved patient-nurse ratio and manning tables to ensure adequate coverage.

Better Job Satisfaction for Nurses

• Less over time hours for staff nurses.
• An organizational structure that allows for a clearly defined chain of command and reporting process.
• A Grading and classification system implemented to offer career advancement based on qualifications, experience and performance.
• Improved morale and retention of staff (high turnover).

Why is our service unique?
In line with the Center’s goals, the KHCC Nursing Department has adopted a multi-disciplinary team approach in its practice. Our policies and training programs promote a high standard of professionalism and competence among its employees while providing them with strong leadership and support. KHCC also recognizes that it is important to develop and maintain career satisfaction for its nurses; it has therefore, incorporated opportunities for their career advancement.