Elevating the impact of nursing through education, opportunity and growth

By Margie Hjorth, Group Director of Nursing and Linda McGinn, Group Manager – Development & Implementation (Nursing) 

Nursing is central to cancer care. Nurses provide the consistent support for patients navigating complex, and often life-changing journeys. 

At Icon, we believe best care possible happens when our nurses are supported to develop and grow. We have a deliberate, group-wide approach that shapes how we design nurse education, onboarding and career pathways across every region of our global network. We recognise with the right education and training, development and leadership opportunities, the impact for our nurses extends far beyond the bedside. 

Supporting nurses at every stage of their journey

One of the defining features of Icon’s nurse education approach is recognising that no two nurses arrive with the same experience, same learning abilities and same career path.

Education and development

Learning at Icon does not stop after onboarding. It continuously evolves alongside each nurse’s career. Through INET, we provide a structured yet flexible model of ongoing professional development that aligns learning directly to clinical practice. 

The education framework is categorised into three key groups: foundational practice, aligning clinical practice, and advanced practice. This progression ensures that nurses can continually strengthen core skills, refine how they deliver care, and develop deeper expertise in specialised areas. 

This model’s effectiveness relies on the fact that education is practical, evidence-based and closely connected to the realities of oncology care. Nurses are not learning in silos; they are applying knowledge in real time to improve patient outcomes. 

This consistency in education is standardised across our global network.  

Regardless of geography, nurses have access to the same high-quality education opportunities, ensuring a shared standard of care.  

Creating clarity through career pathways

In addition to education, we’re enabling clear professional development in nursing through a Nursing Career Pathways Framework that provides clarity, structure and genuine opportunity.

This framework outlines multiple directions for development, from clinical specialisation and advanced practice roles, to education, leadership and consultancy pathways.

Turning strategy into impact

The true measure of this approach lies in its outcomes – particularly patient outcomes – and across Icon, the impact is clear.  

Nurses are leading the development of new models of care.  

Our survivorship programs, for example, have been designed and implemented by nurses who understand the complexities that patients may face after treatment. 

These programs are now extending care beyond traditional boundaries, supporting patients through critical transition periods and improving long-term outcomes. 

Education has also enabled the delivery of more complex treatments closer to home. Through targeted training and capability building, nurses can support services like Gamma Knife which were previously limited due to complexity of service provision.

Not just a nurse

Icon’s nursing framework reflects a broader shift in how nursing is perceived globally, and an understanding that nurses deliver impactful care. 

They are educators, guiding patients and families through complex information. They are innovators, identifying gaps in care and developing new solutions. They are leaders, shaping teams, influencing practice and driving change across systems. 

Through intentional investment in education and career development, we are not only supporting their capacity to deliver care, we are supporting them to shape the future of cancer treatment. 

A foundation for the future of care

Our network of skilled, adaptable and empowered nurses is equipped to meet the increasing complexity in treatments, growing demand for services, and expansion into new geographies.,   

At Icon, our investment in nursing is fundamental to meeting the future needs of cancer care.