Workload of a Pedriatric Oncology Nurse

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Recommended: Communication in care settings

Most people do not notice or appreciate the heavy workload that nurses must endure when taking care of patients; this is especially true for pediatric oncology nurses. If a nurse is not working with a mind clear of distractions, his or her attitude might change towards the provision of patient care. Nurses caring for dying children also have many unmet needs that have an impact on the care they provide (CITE). A few of such unmet needs that have an impact on a nurse’s quality of care include: a lack of communication, physical and emotional pain, and hospital staff retention.
When caring for a dying child, nurses face unique obstacles that must be overcome. First, it is common for there to be a lack of communication between the child’s parents and healthcare providers regarding end-of-life issues. Nurses feel a lack of support from their peers and health care team members. According to Lee and Dupree, caregivers in these situations require emotional support (CITE). A lack of physical and emotional support is a common source of stress for nurses. One of the largest obstacles nurses deal with, is their opinions regarding patients’ plan of care being ignored. A study performed by Davies and Connaughty confirmed that only 20% of the parents were pleased with the communication ability of the health care staff. In order to improve end-of-life communication, nurses should be comfortable talking about death even if they are in a situation where the death of the child is inevitable. Nurses play an important role in the health care team. Excellent communication skills are one of the most important tools a nurse can provide to the family members of a patient. As the patient’s advocate, the nurses need to act as the patient’s voice and prot...

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...ers that can teach the nurses coping mechanisms. APNs also act as the advocate for both the patients and the nurses in health care settings.
Caring for dying child can be a frightening experience for a nurse, as well as for the parents of the patient. Nurses need to try to deliver the best quality palliative care they are capable of administrating. Communication and collaboration is a must in a professional team environment. The nursing role in pediatric oncology is emotionally demanding and challenging, but it is self rewarding job. Nurses have the power of creating a brighter journey for the patient and their families. Sharing with the family the heartaches of the loss of their child on the last day is quite special privilege for the pediatric nurse. Hopefully, in the near future nurses are provided with a stronger foundation when caring for dying children.

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