Louise Soanes

Establishing nursing research priorities on a paediatric haematology, oncology, immunology and infectious diseases unit: involving doctors and parents

Following a Delphi survey undertaken with nurses on a specialist childrens unit to identify priorities for nursing research, this paper outlines the results of a survey to ascertain the views of doctors and parents regarding the results of the Delphi. This approach was in keeping with national guidance on multi-professional working in paediatric oncology and the importance of service-user involvement in planning and evaluating care. Convenience samples of doctors (n=16) and parents (n=10) were asked to rank the priorities previously identified by nurses. Results highlighted that in the main, nurses, doctors and parents agreed on the key areas that should take priority for research. Nurses knowledge of day-to-day symptom management, childrens quality of life, negotiation and communication in relation to care provision were identified by all three groups as high priorities. There were some areas where the views varied: this was generally in relation to the different primary focus of the individual groups-parents being very concerned with the effect of daily ward routines and procedures and their childs overall hospital experience, nurses with issues such as staff retention and morale, whereas doctors were more concerned with issues around information giving and consent to treatment. Limitations of the study, including sample selection and the transient nature of the population involved are discussed within the paper. The paper concludes that all three groups shared similar views, being focused on issues directly related to patient care. Consensus between the groups should result in future research initiatives reflecting a shared focus and responding to an identified need.

Cancer in Children and Young People

Cancer in children and young people , Cancer in children and young people , کتابخانه دیجیتال جندی شاپور اهواز

Working in collaboration with young people and health professionals. A staged approach to the implementation of a randomised controlled trial

ASyMS© is an Advanced Symptom Management System utilising mobile phone technology to monitor chemotherapy-related symptoms and promote self-care. It was first developed with an adult cancer population and is now being evaluated with young people through an iterative development process. ASyMS© involves patients recording and sending symptom reports to the hospital and receiving tailored self-care advice. Health professionals are alerted when severe symptoms are reported. Three phases of the ASyMS©-YG (young people) study are complete. Phase 1 involved young people identifying the symptoms to be assessed. Phase 2 involved young people testing the symptom report system, and ascertaining young people’s, parents’ and professionals’ perceptions of ASyMS©-YG. This paper reports on Phase 3, in which the system was developed further in preparation for a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Health professionals devised an alert system based on risk modelling side-effect severity, and young people and professionals developed self-care advice. A pilot study was conducted to test the alert system and study design in readiness for a definitive RCT. The contribution young people and professionals have made to this project is invaluable in evaluating the practical effectiveness of ASyMS©-YG and ensuring the intervention is acceptable and works in everyday practice.

Building the evidence for nursing practice: learning from a structured review of SIOP abstracts, 2003-2012

The focus of work submitted to an international conference can reflect the changing landscape of a specialty and prove important for identifying trends, uncovering gaps, and providing new directions for nurse‐led research and clinical practice. We present an analysis of trends in presentations in the nursing program at the SIOP congress from 2003 to 2012 based on all accepted abstracts.

Sexuality and cancer: The experience of adolescents and young adults

There are many components affecting the experience of sexuality for adolescents and young adults living with and beyond cancer. For patients, the interruption to normal socialization creates gaps in information and experience that potentially hinder development. In clinical practice, conversations relating to sexual consequences of illness or treatment are rare, as are age‐appropriate assessment and intervention. In service design, the collaborative approach of oncofertility has yet to be replicated for sexuality. This paper considers how these obstacles can be overcome through local service development to address unmet need and promote sexual well‐being for this group of patients.

Challenges for Nursing

The emergence of AYA cancer care as a specialism reflects both science and enterprise of nursing; nurses are involved at almost every stage of cancer and in every setting where care is delivered. There’s much to celebrate, i.e. an inter-professional/multispecialty model of care, collaborative working, advanced nursing roles and nurse-led care. However, AYA cancer nursing is not immune to the universal challenges nursing currently faces, i.e. workforce, practice, education, policy, leadership and research. This chapter explores the first four of these issues in the context of AYA cancer nursing in both generalist and specialist settings.

Effect of conflict on the successful formation of nurse-parent relationships

The building of relationships and partnerships with parents during a bone marrow transplant (BMT) requires skills in communication from both parties involved, as well as the recognition of the empowerment, interpersonal and family system process of the family (Friedemann 1993). In this paper, a fictitious case study is used to examine the consequences of a disequilibrium in these factors and the effect that this has on nurse/parent relationships. In this case, the mother reversed the balance of power, empowered by 10 years exposure to health-care providers and her confidence in expressing her needs. However, it was her anger and aggression in expressing herself that resulted in conflict with the staff and prevented negotiation and partnership with nurses. Such conflict is still uncommon in paediatric BMT and thus, for many staff, a cycle of alienation, conflict, withdrawal and poor communication evolved. The complex issues involved in such a case are explored and suggestions as to how such a cycle can be avoided in the future are offered.