Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Competency Passport Assessment

Assessment 

Introduction

Welcome to the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Competency Passport for the Safe Handling and Administration of Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT).

Welcome to the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Competency Passport Version 4. Evaluation and review of Version 3 of the Passport has been conducted by the UKONS SACT Competency Passport Steering Group. This document provides an update of the competency and assessment framework for the administration of oral, intramuscular, subcutaneous and intravenous SACT for adult patients. This Passport should be used alongside the UKONS SACT Competency Learning Outcomes Framework, which was published by the UKONS SACT Competency Passport Steering Group (Lavender and Oakley, 2019). With the support of CapitalNurse and North London Partners in Health and Care, the group has worked with the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Specialist Interest Group to gain approval for the UKONS SACT Competency Passport and Learning Outcomes Framework to be adopted as a suite of national SACT competencies, available to all NHS organisations. This means that for staff who work in the NHS, completion of the Passport can be recorded on to ESR. For staff working in the independent sector completion of the Passport can be recorded on the individual company’s national education, training and development portals. In so doing, these competencies provide a nationwide, digitally-portable record of achievement of SACT competence. The Passport and Learning Outcomes Framework can also be used by educators to develop SACT courses.

There are three steps to competency attainment:

• Step one involves completion of the relevant theoretical sections, which serves as ‘The Passport’, and is not required to be repeated. The theoretical section is designed to be marked either by a clinician in practice e.g. practice educator or a course module leader. 
• Step two requires completion of the relevant clinical practice competency sections.
• Step three involves completion of the annual reaccreditation certificate.

Scope

The document provides a national standardisation of competence for the fundamental skills and knowledge required to safely handle and administer SACT.

It is designed for clinicians handling and administering SACT and treating adult patients. There is a particular focus on patient education/selfcare. After completing this work-based competency clinicians will continue to develop their practice, which may include: Acute oncology care following SACT, the management of medium and longer-term toxicities, and more detailed knowledge on drug modalities of action.

The following are not covered in this document: Specialised / less common routes of administration, e.g. inhalation, isolated limb perfusion, intravesical, topical, and participating in the checking of intrathecal chemotherapy. UKONS suggest that clinicians administering via these specialised routes complete the theoretical component (Step One). The management of potential SACT-related acute emergencies is covered in this document (e.g. neutropenic sepsis, electrolyte imbalance, hypersensitivity/anaphylaxis, extravasation and tumour lysis syndrome). UKONS expects clinicians who administer SACT to have the knowledge and skills to recognise and escalate presenting concerns or commence treatment related to these areas.

Assessment process

Attaining Competence: Theoretical (The Passport) and Clinical Practice

Any registered clinician who is employed in a role that requires them to administer SACT should undertake the theoretical sections relevant to their role (i.e. expected routes of SACT administration). If a clinician’s role changes, requiring administration via a different route, they should complete the associated relevant route section. All registered clinicians, regardless of level of practice, should demonstrate competency and maintain evidence of their SACT practice, including annual re-assessment. The clinical practice assessment documents provide evidence of learning and supervised practice. They will be kept by both the manager and clinician and can be used to inform professional revalidation.

• Complete the Passport (Theoretical Section)
• Clinical Practice Assessment Section
• Annual Reaccreditation

Summary of the Assessment Requirements

The assessment focuses on evaluating the learner’s understanding of the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Competency Passport and its structured process for achieving competence in the safe handling and administration of SACT.

The key requirements of the assessment include:

Key Pointers to Be Addressed

• Understanding the purpose and scope of the UKONS SACT Competency Passport (Version 4).
• Explaining how the Passport provides a nationally standardised competency framework for clinicians handling and administering SACT to adult patients.
• Describing the three steps of competency attainment:
  1. Completion of theoretical learning (The Passport).
  2. Completion of clinical practice competency sections.
  3. Annual re-accreditation.
• Understanding what is included within the competency framework (e.g., managing toxicities, patient education, acute oncology emergencies).
• Identifying what is not included (e.g., specialised routes such as inhalation, intravesical, intrathecal checks).
• Demonstrating awareness of the assessment process, documentation requirements, and portability of competency records across NHS and independent sectors.
• Explaining how completion supports ongoing professional development and revalidation.

How the Academic Mentor Guided the Student 

The academic mentor approached the assessment by breaking the task into structured, manageable steps. This ensured the student not only understood the content but could also critically explain each section clearly.

Step 1: Clarifying the Objective and Setting a Structure

The mentor first ensured the student understood that the goal was to summarize, analyse, and explain the SACT Competency Passport process.
They provided a recommended structure:

1. Introduction
2. Purpose of the SACT Passport
3. Scope and applicability
4. Three-step competency process
5. Assessment method and documentation
6. Areas included/excluded
7. Conclusion

This framework helped the student maintain coherence throughout the response.

Step 2: Drafting the Introduction

The mentor guided the student to write an introduction that:

• Describes the UKONS SACT Competency Passport
• Highlights its purpose in standardising SACT-related skills
• Sets the context for the subsequent analysis

This established a strong academic foundation for the explanation.

Step 3: Explaining the Purpose and National Relevance

The student was coached to:

• Describe how Version 4 updates the previous framework
• Emphasise the integration of competencies into the Electronic Staff Record (ESR), offering national portability
• Mention its use by educators, NHS organisations, and the independent sector

This showcased an understanding of the broader healthcare context.

Step 4: Describing the Scope

The mentor helped the student articulate:

• Who the Passport is intended for (clinicians administering SACT to adult patients)
• What core skills are expected (safe handling, administration, patient education, recognition of toxicities)
• The inclusion of acute emergency management
• Exclusions such as specialised routes

This allowed the student to demonstrate clarity on boundaries of practice.

Step 5: Explaining the Three Steps of Competency Attainment

The mentor instructed the student to analyse each step:

1. Theoretical Passport (Step One)
   • One-time requirement
   • Assessed by educators or practice leads
2. Clinical Practice Competency (Step Two)
   • Demonstration of supervised clinical skills
   • Documentation retained by both clinician and manager
3. Annual Reaccreditation (Step Three)
   • Ensures continual maintenance of skills and knowledge

This step-by-step breakdown ensured comprehensiveness and accuracy.

Step 6: Describing the Assessment Process

Under guidance, the student explained:

• How all clinicians must complete relevant theoretical sections based on their role
• How changes in responsibilities require additional sections
• The importance of maintaining evidence for revalidation

This helped meet the requirement of showcasing understanding of practical implementation.

Step 7: Writing the Conclusion

The mentor instructed the student to summarise:

• The importance of standardised SACT competencies
• How the framework enhances patient safety and professional accountability
• The cyclical nature of ongoing learning and reassessment

The conclusion reinforced the overall message of the assessment.

Final Outcome and Learning Objectives Achieved

The completed assessment successfully covered all required elements, including:

• A clear explanation of the SACT Competency Passport and its purpose
• Detailed analysis of competency steps
• Comprehensive understanding of scope, inclusions, and exclusions
• Insight into assessment processes, documentation, and national standardisation

Learning Objectives Achieved

• Demonstrated understanding of a national clinical competency framework
• Applied analytical skills to explain structured clinical education processes
• Highlighted practical implications for clinicians administering SACT
• Recognised ongoing professional development expectations (annual reaccreditation)
• Communicated healthcare policy and competency standards in clear academic form

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