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. 2025 Oct;12(10):e70251.
doi: 10.1002/nop2.70251.

Professional Roles, Skills and Advanced Educational Programs of Breast Cancer Nurses: A Scoping Review

Lucia D'Alessandro  1 , Sara Morales Palomares  2 , Stefano Mancin  3 , Marco Sguanci  4 , Daniela Cattani  3 , Simone Cosmai  1 , Diego Lopane  3 , Margarita Gjeloshi  3 , Giovanni Cangelosi  5 , Beatrice Mazzoleni  1
Affiliations

Professional Roles, Skills and Advanced Educational Programs of Breast Cancer Nurses: A Scoping Review

Lucia D'Alessandro et al. Nurs Open. 2025 Oct.

Abstract

Aim: To define the role, competencies and clinical focus of specialised breast cancer nurses and to explore post-basic academic training programmes available in Western countries.

Design: A scoping review was reported following the PRISMA-ScR framework and aligned with JBI methodology.

Methods: The research question was formulated using the Population, Concept and Context model. Searches were performed across four databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Gray Literature) between July and September 2024. Article screening and data extraction were independently performed by two authors. Descriptive analysis was employed to interpret the data.

Results: From an initial 1499 records, 143 studies were selected, with 16 included in the final analysis. The studies, published between 2001 and 2024, evaluated the role of breast cancer nurses in oncology, focusing on their impact on patient care, health outcomes, quality of life, psychological support and breast cancer nurses-led interventions. Two studies assessed educational programmes, identifying a diverse range of postgraduate degrees and specialised training options tailored to meet the specific needs of this essential nursing role.

Conclusions: Breast cancer nurses are crucial in delivering comprehensive care and improving QoL for breast cancer patients. They contribute to enhancing clinical outcomes through patient education and support. Ongoing professional development and expanded education are essential to meet evolving patient needs.

Implications for the profession: Breast cancer nurses play a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes by delivering education, psychological support and holistic care. To keep pace with the increasing complexity of breast cancer management, it is essential to prioritise expanded academic training and continuous professional development. These efforts will ensure BCNs are well prepared to address evolving patient needs and provide high-quality, comprehensive care.

Patient or public contribution: No patient or public contribution.

Keywords: advanced practice nurse; breast cancer; clinical nurse specialist; nurse practitioner.

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Conflict of interest statement

The scoping review protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework, available at: 10.17605/OSF.IO/DU82V.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA‐ScR flowchart of the process of article inclusion.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
BCN's role in different settings. FP, fertility preservation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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