Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses
-
J Pediatr Oncol Nurs · Nov 2017
ReviewReview of the Effectiveness of Enteral Feeding in Pediatric Oncology Patients [Formula: see text].
Enteral supplementation for nutritional support in pediatric oncology patients remains nonstandardized across institutions and between providers. Pediatric oncology patients frequently fail to meet their growth curve percentiles, lose weight, and/or are malnourished due to both the oncologic process as well as side effects from chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Methods of increasing weight include enteral feeding (nasogastric, nasoduodenal/jejunal, or gastrostomy), parenteral intravenous feeding, and oral supplementation. ⋯ This article provides a comprehensive literature review of 8 published studies regarding the effectiveness and safety of enteral feeding in maintaining or increasing weight in pediatric oncology patients to help inform practice. The review concludes that enteral feeding in pediatric oncology patients is an effective and safe method to affect weight positively. However, further research is needed for developing treatment guidelines, including establishing a timeline for initiation of feeding, and determining which patients are most likely to benefit from enteral feeding.
-
To understand key drivers of patient satisfaction in pediatric hematology/oncology. ⋯ Families bringing their children for outpatient care in a hematology/oncology practice want to experience a cheerful and collaborative medical team. Wait time at clinic may be a key driver in the overall experience for families with children with cancer. Future work should be directed at using this evidence to drive patient experience improvement processes in pediatric hematology/oncology.
-
J Pediatr Oncol Nurs · Nov 2017
Parents' Experience of Hope When Their Child Has Cancer: Perceived Meaning and the Influence of Health Care Professionals.
This study examined the role and importance of hopefulness for parents of children with cancer, how hope relates to parents' experience with the diagnosis, and the influence nurses and other health care professionals have on parents' hope. ⋯ Understanding parents' experiences validates the quality care and connections we make with children and families, and encourages us to consider the effects of our interactions. This underscores the importance of education and support as a means of instilling hope in parents, who are valued, critical members of their child's health care team.
-
J Pediatr Oncol Nurs · Nov 2017
Improving the Quality of End-of-Life Care in Pediatric Oncology Patients Through the Early Implementation of Palliative Care.
Providing end-of-life care to children with cancer is most ideally achieved by initiating palliative care at the time of diagnosis, advocating for supportive care throughout the treatment trajectory, and implementing hospice care during the terminal phase. The guiding principles behind offering palliative care to pediatric oncology patients are the prioritization of providing holistic care and management of disease-based symptoms. ⋯ There are barriers to implementing palliative care for children with cancer, including the need to clarify the palliative care philosophy, parental acknowledgement and acceptance of a child's disease and uncertain future, nursing awareness of services, perception of availability, and a shortage of research guidance. It is important for nurses and clinicians to have a clear understanding of the fundamentals of palliative and end-of-life care for pediatric oncology patients to receive the best care possible.