BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY NURSES

Abstract

Upwards of 15,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer ever year. When these individuals undergo hospital stays, treatments, or care coordination meetings, often a nurse is part of their team. These nurses often work with patients for weeks to months consecutively, develop close relationships with the patient, develop close relationships with the family, and undergo work-related bereavement when patients are lost. Pediatric oncology nursing is a specialty like none other. Pediatric oncology nurses face a multitude of stressful situations in their occupation that can contribute to burnout, compassion fatigue, grief, and overall decreased professional quality of life. The following research identifies the hardships that pediatric oncology nurses face in their occupation and analyzes possible interventions to combat these negative effects. From this research, best practice recommendations were drawn to improve professional quality of life for pediatric oncology nurses. This thesis provides an in-depth plan for hypothetical implementation and evaluation of a self-care activity, “Take-A-Break”, and introduction of an all-purpose respite room for pediatric oncology nurse wellness.