Professional Development
The AYA Cancer Network aims to support health professionals and other support providers working with young people with cancer. In this section you will find information on education and professional development opportunities available to you. If you know of any other opportunities please send details of these to ayacancer@adhb.govt.nz
Click on the below headings for more:
Adolescents and young adults (12-24 years old) with cancer present a unique set of challenges for health professionals. They have distinct physical, psychological and developmental needs that are significantly different from those of children or those of adults. Health professionals working with adolescents and young adults need special skills and understanding in order to maximise outcomes for this patient population.
Courses offered at the School of Population Health in a flexible learning format. The University of Auckland offers the opportunity for you to develop and advance your knowledge, skills and expertise in this area through post graduate study in Youth Health. Why not become a clinical care champion for adolescents and young adults with cancer within your service?
A full outline of the programme and courses can be found on the university website, or here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/study-options/find-a-study-option/youth-health/postgraduate-study.html
You can include the below papers as a 30 point combined course into your pot graduate diploma or they can be taken as a certificate of proficiency. Please note PAEDS712 is a pre requisite for PAEDS721 so either needs to be taken before or at the same time as PAEDS721.
PAEDS 712 – Youth Clinical Skills – 15 points: This course gives health professionals the core generic skills and knowledge essential for working with young people in any health care setting. The course develops and extends knowledge and skills in clinical interviewing, comprehensive assessment and effective intervention with adolescents and young adults
PAEDS 721 – Clinical Care of Adolescent and Young Adults – 15 points: This course builds on the generic knowledge and skills taught in PAEDS 712 while providing advanced knowledge and skills in AYA cancer care in areas such as transitional care, survivorship, biology and treatment during adolescent and young adult years, consent and ethical issues, and adherence strategies for the adolescent and young adult.
Please note: The below scholarship application has now closed for 2024.
Luekaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC) are generously providing up to 3 $1000 scholarships for health professionals to undertake courses at Auckland University for Youth Health and Clinical Care of AYAs with Cancer in 2024!
Click on the links below for further information and the LBC Scholarship Application Form. Please note that the applications close Monday 1st July 2024 (applications have now closed).
View 2024 LBC Scholarship Application Form
Please contact Dr Louise Albertella (Louise.Albertella@middlemore.co.nz) if you have any questions about UoA courses.
Global Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress
The Annual Global Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress will be held in Melbourne, Australia from the 3rd – 6th December 2024.
Click here for more information/ registration
‘The Monthly Drip’: Teen Cancer America
The Monthly Drip is a monthly webinar hosted by Teen Cancer America to provide current education on AYA related topics for healthcare professionals. This is an opportunity to share expertise, current research, AYA program development with an aim to impact the AYA community at large.
Free online courses available to professionals and support providers working with young people with cancer.
Whāraurau
Whāraurau provides national training and workforce development within the child and adolescent mental health sector. They provide online training and study days as well as comprehensive elearning modules for clinicians.
Two recommended elearning modules for clinical providers in AYA care include ‘foundations in Youth Health’ and ‘HEEADSSS assessments’ modules. Both modules provide a comprehensive over view of the skills, knowledge and competencies required to deliver effective youth health.
The short courses provides an introduction to the HEEADSSS assessment framework and other key information to support professionals working with young people.
Click here for the HEEADSSS eLearning Module
Click here for the Foundation in Youth Mental Health eLearning Module
Health Learn
This course provides AYA Cancer Health Learn packages. This is available for Southern and Canterbury regions.
- Assessment and management of symptoms
- Child and adolescent palliative care
- Cultural issues in end-of-life-care
- Ethics in end-of-life care
- Ethics in end-of-life decision-making
- Holistic management of care philosophy
- Societal attitudes to death and dying
- Spirituality, loss grief and bereavement and many more topics particular to palliative care
The courses also recognise ‘self-care’ as important for the team caring for people with life-challenging illness.
Courses in this subject are offered in both distance and flexible-learning formats.
For course information: http://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/study-options/find-a-study-option/palliative-care/postgraduate.html
Kidz First The Centre for Youth Health, Youth Health Workshops for 2024
Workshops provide practical programmes to enhance professional skills when working with young people in clinical and community settings.
Click here for 2024 Health Workshops
Click here for more information
Whāraurau
Whāraurau provides national training and workforce development within the child and adolescent mental health sector. They provide online training and study days as well as comprehensive elearning modules for clinicians.
Click here for more information
The Collaborative Trust for Research and Training in Youth Health & Development – Training
The Collaborative Trust provides training through their workshops which can range from an hour to a whole day. They are interactive and involve young people as Youth Tutors. The topics are relevant to practice and the issues that young people have.
Click here for more information
KnowPYD
KnowPYD aims to connect people who work with rangatahi in Aotearoa to online training opportunities. Online webinars and training’s focus on positive youth development strategies. See the link for further information:
Whatever your commute is into work, AYA podcasts can be a great way to fill this time. The following podcast are based on either AYA professional development or from the voice of AYA patients. Podcast are available on multiple platforms from spotify, the app store or google play.
GoodFellow Podcasts
- Having conversations with AYA about Sex: Cathy Stephenson discusses how to have conversations with our younger patients about sex. Topics include information on safe sexual practices, sexually transmitted infections in teens, sexuality and gender identity and much more.
- AYA Brain Development: Dame Sue Bagshaw discusses teenage brain development and its influences – what this means for clinicians – and how to optimise your communication to maximise your consult with the teenage patient.
The Stupid Cancer Show
An award-winning talk radio show serving as the voice of young adult cancer. Hosted by an AYA survivor, each episode tackles hard-hitting, real-world issues ranging from politics, health care, legislative advocacy, civil liberties, and the environment to social media, entertainment, cancer research, and medical education. Stupid Cancer’s mission is to empower everyone affected by adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer by ending isolation and building community by providing age-appropriate resources to help AYA’s navigate treatment and survivorship.
For more information click here
Project Oncology
Project Oncology presents a wide array of oncology topics designed to educate and enlighten practitioners on late-breaking discoveries, novel treatment options, evolving methods of patient management, and more. This series provides cutting-edge updates on cancer biology, diagnosis, and multidisciplinary management, as well as evidence-based recommendations to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
Journal of Clinical Oncology Podcasts
This podcast features discussions of new and noteworthy results published in ASCO’s Journal of Clinical Oncology and how they impact clinical practice and research.
AYA Cancer Network Webinars
The AYA Cancer Network is excited to be hosting a range of experts in our new webinar series. Topics will be across the spectrum of oncology and available and relevant for health care professionals from primary and community health right through to tertiary settings. Follow the link for more.
AYA Webinar Series
Child Cancer Foundation Webinars
The Child Cancer Foundation has paired with experts across the spectrum of child and adolescent oncology to deliver webinars run by experts on grief, nutrition, mental well being and more.
