Oncology Nursing Society Position

The Role of Unlicensed Assistive Personnel in Cancer Care

Oncology Nursing Society, standards

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) supports the collaborative role of registered nurses with members of the multidisciplinary team in the provision of quality cancer care regardless of the clinical setting. ONS recognizes that unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) can make significant contributions in cancer-care delivery systems. UAP in cancer-care settings are individuals who are trained to function in an assistive role to oncology nurses in the provision of direct and indirect activities as delegated by the RN. ONS supports the American Nurses Association (ANA, 1992) position that the control and monitoring of UAP in clinical settings should be performed through the use of existing mechanisms that regulate nursing practice, typically, the state board of nursing. ONS also supports the ANA position that any nursing intervention that requires independent, specialized nursing knowledge, skill, or judgment cannot be delegated.

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