From Diagnosis to Long-Term Survivorship: A Scoping Review of Specialist or Advanced Nursing Roles in Gynecologic Oncology

OBJECTIVES: Due to rising survival rates in gynecologic cancers, the need for holistic, patient-centered, and multidisciplinary survivorship care is increasing. Evolving specialist or advanced nursing roles can help to improve quality of life within the interprofessional care team. However, their roles are not clearly defined. Our aim was to identify and map existing literature on the roles and scope of practice of specialist or advanced nurses in gynecologic oncology, from diagnosis to long-term survivorship. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Searches were performed in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ProQuest. Findings were synthesized using Hamric and Hanson's model for advanced practice nursing. RESULTS: Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria, most examining the cancer care continuum following completion of primary treatment. A broad range of interventions was identified, primarily focusing on direct clinical practice including screening, assessment, and management of physical and psychological (long-term) side-effects, often reported within follow-up care. Nurses in specialist or advanced roles were frequently identified as primary contact persons, providing guidance and coaching, as well as indirect care activities. Fewer studies addressed collaboration, leadership, and evidence-based practice. Reported working titles were heterogeneous across countries. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate an evidence gap in nursing research within long-term survivorship care. The potential of shared follow-up models to strengthen interprofessional survivorship care highlights a promising approach to enhance quality of life in gynecologic cancers. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Our results provide a foundation for further development of specialist or advanced nursing roles in gynecologic oncology survivorship care.