About the Institute
The de Souza Institute is an innovative centre of learning dedicated to improving cancer care by supporting excellence in oncology nursing. Nurses play a vital role in caring for patients throughout the cancer journey – in prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliation. But the demand for nurses with specialized skills in oncology continues to grow. In the next 10 years, Ontario will see a 40 percent increase in the number of people living with cancer.
To address this need, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care established the de Souza Institute in 2008 with $15 million in funding. The Institute was named in honour of Anna Maria de Souza, a distinguished Toronto philanthropist and volunteer who lost her life to cancer in 2007.
Achieving Excellence
The de Souza Institute is building capacity and setting a new standard of oncology nursing excellence by:
- Delivering innovative education and mentorship programs to help nurses who provide care for patients in every setting and phase of the cancer care journey to develop specialized oncology knowledge and skills, and deliver the most effective care.
- Helping nurses to achieve certification in the specialties of oncology and hospice palliative care
- Funding graduate fellowships to develop tomorrow’s oncology nursing leaders in education, academia, research and administration.
- Advancing research and helping nurses to bring the latest evidence to front line care.
- Supporting nurses in self care and career development to improve job satisfaction and reduce attrition rates.
The de Souza Institute is using innovative approaches to reach nurses wherever they practice. Live events, telehealth and e-technologies such as web-casting, blogging, wikis and discussion boards will allow the Institute to extend its reach to every corner of the province.
“A virtual institute, the de Souza Institute is using innovative approaches to reach nurses wherever they practice.”