Comforting measures described by staff working in paediatric units

Construction and validation of an instrument to assess the comfort of adolescents undergoing chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To build and validate a self-report instrument to assess the comfort of adolescents with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

METHODS

This methodological study was developed in five stages: scoping review; qualitative study to characterize comfort from the perspective of adolescents with cancer undergoing chemotherapy; instrument construction; instrument content validation by experts; pre-test with a group of adolescents.

RESULTS

In the scoping review, 20 comfort changes were identified; regarding the perspective of comfort for adolescents, it was possible to identify the effects on their daily lives and the impact on chemotherapy; in content validation, the index was 0.96 and Cronbach's Alpha 0.87. In the pre-test, the instrument obtained the final version with 37 items and Cronbach's Alpha 0.94.

CONCLUSIONS

The constructed and validated self-report instrument showed good reliability related to satisfactory psychometric parameters and can be used by nurses in clinical practice to assess and evidence comfort changes.

Addressing the psychosocial needs of young people with thalassaemia undergoing bone marrow transplantation

Beta thalassaemia major is an inherited condition that causes severe anaemia. Patients with the condition require regular blood transfusions. One curative treatment option available is bone marrow transplantation, but a bone marrow transplant is a high-risk, painful procedure requiring prolonged hospitalisation. Undergoing such a disruptive treatment can be a source of great anxiety for young people and their families, who will need honest, sensitive and empathetic communication, person-centred care, support to socialise and access education, involvement in decision-making and signposting to financial support. This article discusses the role of children's nurses in addressing the psychosocial needs of young people with thalassaemia who undergo bone marrow transplantation and in supporting young people's families.

Experiences of Young Children With Cancer and Their Parents With Nurses' Caring Practices During the Cancer Trajectory

Children with cancer require repeated hospitalizations and the family's everyday life and routines undergo change. Concrete descriptions of how nurses act when caring for children with cancer throughout the various phases of care and treatment are sparsely highlighted in the literature. The aim of this study was to describe young children with cancer and their parents' experiences of nurses' caring practices over a 3-year period, from diagnosis to follow-up. This study is based on semistructured interviews with 25 children newly diagnosed with cancer, aged 1 to 6 years, and their parents, connected to a pediatric oncology unit in Sweden. Child and parent data were analyzed with a deductive content analysis using Swanson's theory of caring. The result shows that nurse care practices directed toward young children with cancer and their parents are to some extent similar across a 3-year period from diagnosis to follow-up but also differ in some ways. Nurses' caring practices aim to support children and parents in the transition to a "new normal." Child- and family-friendly care processes include the following: creating hope and a trustful relationship, asking rather than assuming, providing knowledge and information, performing tasks skillfully, displaying an interest in the child's and parents' life outside the hospital, and helping the family to trust in the future and other health care providers. Based on these results, we recommend the development of a standardized and structured nursing care plan or clinical guideline with detailed information on how to carry out clinical nurse care practices in the different phases.

Staff's Experiences of Preparing and Caring for Children With Cancer and Their Families During the Child's Radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Approximately one-third of children diagnosed with cancer are treated with radiotherapy (RT). Staff experiences of preparing and distracting the children and their families during a child's RT are sparsely described.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to describe staff experiences of preparing and caring for children with cancer and their families during the child's RT.

INTERVENTION/METHODS

Semistructured interviews with staff were performed at 3 Swedish RT centers. The interviews were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed 5 categories summarizing the staff members' experiences. These include the following: experiences of various emotions; care for the child and the child's family; commitments before, during, and after RT; organizational issues; and experiences of the intervention and suggestions for improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

The preparatory intervention facilitated the ability of staff members to conduct their work, although the intervention should be specifically tailored to each child. Meeting children and their families and providing care to both during RT were challenging. The staff strived to provide optimal care for each child and family. Interdisciplinary teamwork and organizational acceptance for the importance of preparation and distraction were essential.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

A future challenge will be to provide opportunities for all staff involved in the treatment of children with cancer to develop their skills continuously in order to provide high-quality preparation and distraction to all children undergoing RT, regardless of the geographical location of the RT center.