2024 ASTCT Advanced Practice Provider Onboarding Guide

Introduction: Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) play a crucial role in the functioning of transplant and cellular therapy programs of all sizes.  Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner academic programs provide little training specific to HSCT and cellular therapy.  However, this area of health care requires specialized knowledge and skills. Transplant and cellular therapy programs in medical institutions must develop their own educational plans and resources. These can range from very minimal to extensive educational programs depending on the institution. In response, the ASTCT APP SIG (special interest group) identified a need for a standardized document to help better train, onboard, and educate APPs working in transplant and cellular therapy. A focus group of experienced APPs in the ASTCT SIG came together to review and update standards while including resources and user-friendly checklists. This document provides a comprehensive framework to support successful onboarding and education of new APPs who will be working with the cellular therapy patient population. It provides guidance for both the orientee and the mentor.  Resources included in this document are current (within 5 years if available) and highlight established consensus guidelines, evidence-based practice & current research. Currently, the goal is to review this document every 3-5 years to maintain an up-to-date onboarding and education program moving forward. 

Using This Document: This document aims to serve as a template and supplement to institutional onboarding programs. Each APP will have unique needs and baseline knowledge. As a result, this document can serve as a guide but may require changes to meet a specific need. As a new APP makes its way through this onboarding list, it is important that managers, team leads, and preceptors schedule intermittent meetings to check in and assess progress. Areas with a *** are competencies that FACT recommends.  While we suggest weeks for the different objectives, preceptors and trainees will likely be working on multiple areas of this document at the same time and do not need to work in a linear fashion. The assessment section is meant to help track progress through the document as well as progress through orientation.  Assessments may be based on activities, objectives, or resources.  The larger assessment sections have room to leave notes for both orientee and preceptor.

Acknowledgements: a special thank you to those who made this document a reality.

Mary Guay, PA-C
Rita M. Jakubowski DNP, RN, ANP-BC, OCN, BMTCN
Sarah Jimenez DNP, AGACNP, AOCNP
Samantha Newman, MSN, PNP-AC, BMTCN
Liza Rodriguez, DNP, MSN, FNP-C, AOCNP
Nancy Shreve, RN, MS, FNP, BMTCN
Jannelle Vicens, DNP, MSN FNP-BC, BSN
Elizabeth Zerante MS, AGACNP-BC