Joint Cancer Nurses Society of Australia–Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Position Statement on the Contribution of Nurses to Cancer Survivorship Care in Australia
Raymond J. Chan, Gemma McErlean, Fiona Crawford‐Williams, Carla Thamm, Carmel O'Kane, Nicolas H. Hart, Gillian Blanchard, Anne Mellon, Justin Hargreaves, Mei Krishnasamy, Michael Jefford,ABSTRACT
Aim
To describe the development, consultation, and endorsement process for a joint position statement from the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) and the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) regarding the contribution of nurses to cancer survivorship care in Australia.
Methods
A development team of nursing and oncology experts ( n = 11) was convened in September 2025. The draft position statement was informed by key literature, including the COSA Model of Survivorship Care, Australian Cancer Plan, a modified Delphi study defining nurse capabilities in survivorship care, and an overview of systematic reviews on nurse‐led care models. A consultation survey was then distributed via Qualtrics to CNSA and COSA members and partner organisations from October to November 2025. Respondents provided qualitative feedback across four domains: service delivery, research, education and policy. The expert panel incorporated the feedback and finalised the position statement, which was endorsed by COSA Council and CNSA Board in March 2026.
Results
Submissions from 37 individuals and 10 organisations provided feedback on the draft position statement. Respondents were clinical nurse consultants/specialists ( n = 24), nurse practitioners ( n = 3), researchers ( n = 2), educators ( n = 1), managers ( n = 3), non‐nurse healthcare professionals ( n = 4), and administrators of relevant not‐for‐profit organisations ( n = 10) across Australia. Feedback was highly supportive, with respondents endorsing the statement's comprehensiveness. Key feedback included calls for greater specificity around implementation in under‐resourced settings, recognition of survivorship as a nursing speciality, the need for a national survivorship minimum dataset, and emphasis on telehealth‐enabled models. The final CNSA‐COSA position statement articulates 40 recommendations to strengthen nursing contribution across service delivery ( n = 9), research ( n = 11), education ( n = 9), and policy ( n = 11).
Conclusion
This joint CNSA‐COSA position statement provides a framework to guide the integration of nursing into cancer survivorship care across Australia. Its implementation will require coordinated investment in workforce, education, research, and policy reform.
Trial Registration : Not applicable as this is not a clinical trial.