A Program to Enhance Writing Skills for Advanced Practice Nurses.

Background: Advanced practice RNs (APRNs) make important contributions to scholarly journals that are derived from scientific evidence and clinical practice. This article presents a writing program designed to enhance the writing skills of APRNs with a series of online modules, a workshop, and a manuscript checklist.

Method: The writing program was implemented in a Doctor of Nursing Practice program and evaluated with a writing self-efficacy scale and open-ended questions.

Childhood Cancer Symptom Cluster: Leukemia and Health-Related Quality of Life.

Objectives: To examine the relationship of the Childhood Cancer Symptom Cluster-Leukemia (CCSC-L) with health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Sample & Setting: 327 children receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia from four pediatric oncology programs across the United States.

Methods & Variables: Participants completed fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, nausea, and depression symptom questionnaires at four time points; these symptoms comprised the CCSC-L.

Pediatric oncology nurses' perceptions of prognosis-related communication.

Background: Disclosure of prognosis-related information is an essential aspect of communication with pediatric patients with cancer and their families. The nurse is believed to play an important role in this process, but nurse perceptions and experiences have not been well-described.

Purpose: Provide an exploration of pediatric oncology nurses' experiences with prognosis-related communication (PRC).

Factors Affecting Adolescents' Willingness to Communicate Symptoms During Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review from the Children's Oncology Group.

The purpose of this systematic review is to (1) synthesize evidence facilitators and barriers affecting adolescent willingness to communicate symptoms to health care providers (HCPs) and (2) create practice recommendations. The PICOT (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Time) question guiding the review was, among adolescents with cancer, what factors affect their willingness to communicate symptoms to HCPs? Three databases, PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychINFO, were searched using keywords from the PICOT question. Inclusion criteria included original research studies with samples of at least 51% adolescents aged 10-18 years who were receiving or had received cancer treatment.

The Why Behind the Questions: Question-asking in Parents of Children Newly Diagnosed With Cancer - A Report From the Children's Oncology Group.

Purpose: For parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer, the exchange of information during initial educational processes is critical. This focused analysis was completed to describe parent question-asking during the new childhood cancer diagnosis timeframe.

Design & Methods: In previous research of new diagnosis education experiences, parents spoke extensively about asking questions.

Parent Psychological and Physical Health Outcomes in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background: Parents of children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are at risk of adverse health outcomes due to their intense caregiver demands.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe adverse health outcomes in parents of children who survived an allogeneic HSCT done within the past 1 to 10 years.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted at a children's hospital in the western United States, enrolled English- and Spanish-speaking parents of children who survived allogeneic HSCT between 2005 and 2015.

Symptom Trajectories of Adolescents During Hematopoietic Stem Cell Recovery.

Background: Adolescents undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) experience multiple symptoms during and after the transplant. These symptoms can increase the need for medical care and reduce the quality of their life. However, little is known about symptom experiences specific to adolescents undergoing HSCT.

Physical Activity, the Childhood Cancer Symptom Cluster-Leukemia, and Cognitive Function: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis.

Background: Children undergoing leukemia treatment report co-occurring symptoms of fatigue, sleep disturbances, pain, nausea, and depression as a symptom cluster. Physical activity (PA) is essential for development and may influence symptom severity. Children with leukemia are at risk of cognitive impairments from central nervous system therapies.

The effects of a video-based education in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer in Singapore.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an educational video among women who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer on knowledge, anxiety, and satisfaction with their surgical decision.

Methods: A pre-post-test design was used to evaluate knowledge, anxiety, and satisfaction levels with decision-making regarding surgery among women with breast cancer. A purposive sampling strategy was implemented to compare outcomes of newly diagnosed breast cancer women who received standard of care that included breast care nurse counseling sessions and written materials to women who received standard of care plus a supplement educational video.

Perspectives of children, family caregivers, and health professionals about pediatric oncology symptoms: a systematic review.

Objectives: To evaluate the existing body of evidence to determine the current state of knowledge regarding the perspectives of the following groups: (1) children with cancer, (2) family caregivers, and (3) healthcare professionals, about symptoms, as well as factors that may influence the symptom reports.

Methods: A systematic search was performed for all types of studies that included the perspectives of at least two groups of participants' symptom reports. Children included anyone younger than 19 years of age who was diagnosed with any type of cancer.

A Standardized Education Checklist for Parents of Children Newly Diagnosed With Cancer: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group.

Parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer must acquire new knowledge and skills in order to safely care for their child at home. Institutional variation exists in the methods and content used by nurses in providing the initial education. The goal of this project was to develop a checklist, standardized across institutions, to guide nursing education provided to parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer.

Assessment Tools for Peripheral Neuropathy in Pediatric Oncology: A Systematic Review From the Children's Oncology Group.

Peripheral neuropathy is a known side effect of several chemotherapy agents, including vinca alkaloids and platinum-based chemotherapy. Early recognition and monitoring of this side effect is an important role of the pediatric oncology nurse. There are a variety of peripheral neuropathy assessment tools currently in use, but the usefulness of these tools in identifying and grading neuropathy in children varies, and there is currently no standardized tool in place to evaluate peripheral neuropathy in pediatric oncology.

Palliative Care: Improving Nursing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors .

Background: Oncology nurses affect patient care at every point along the cancer journey. This creates the perfect opportunity to educate patients and caregivers about palliative care early and often throughout treatment. However, healthcare providers frequently do not have the knowledge and confidence to engage in meaningful conversations about palliative care.

Symptom Trajectories in Children Receiving Treatment for Leukemia: A Latent Class Growth Analysis With Multitrajectory Modeling.

Context: Cancer treatment symptoms play a major role in determining the health of children with cancer. Symptom toxicity often results in complications, treatment delays, and therapy dose reductions that can compromise leukemia therapy and jeopardize chances for long-term survival. Critical to understanding symptom experiences during treatment is the need for exploration of "why" inter-individual symptom differences occur; this will determine who may be most susceptible to treatment toxicities.

Reducing Surgery Cancellations at a Pediatric Ambulatory Surgery Center.

Surgery cancellations are costly and can be frustrating for patients, their families, and the surgical team. Because of the inherent nature of an ambulatory surgery center, which only performs scheduled elective procedures, surgical cancellations typically result in wasted time and resources. Pediatric surgery cancellations can be mitigated with proper preoperative screening and communication between nurses and patients' guardians.

Processing Information After a Child's Cancer Diagnosis-How Parents Learn.

Parents of a child newly diagnosed with cancer must receive an extensive amount of information before their child's initial hospital discharge; however, little is known about best practices for providing this education. An interpretive descriptive study design was used to describe actual and preferred educational content, timing, and methods among parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer prior to their child's first hospital discharge. Twenty parents of children diagnosed with various malignancies participated in individual interviews 2 to 12 months after their child's diagnosis.

Symptom Clusters in Children and Adolescents with Cancer.

Objective: To report evidence regarding assessment methods and management strategies for symptom clusters among children and adolescents with cancer.

Data Sources: Published research and clinical guidelines.

Conclusion: Although a number of studies have identified multiple co-occurring symptoms in children and adolescents with cancer, only a few have included analyses aimed at identifying symptom clusters.

Understanding Effective Delivery of Patient and Family Education in Pediatric Oncology.

A diagnosis of childhood cancer is a life-changing event for the entire family. Parents must not only deal with the cancer diagnosis but also acquire new knowledge and skills to care safely for their child at home. Best practices for delivery of patient/family education after a new diagnosis of childhood cancer are currently unknown.

Patient/Family Education for Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Oncology Patients.

There is a paucity of data to support evidence-based practices in the provision of patient/family education in the context of a new childhood cancer diagnosis. Since the majority of children with cancer are treated on pediatric oncology clinical trials, lack of effective patient/family education has the potential to negatively affect both patient and clinical trial outcomes. The Children's Oncology Group Nursing Discipline convened an interprofessional expert panel from within and beyond pediatric oncology to review available and emerging evidence and develop expert consensus recommendations regarding harmonization of patient/family education practices for newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients across institutions.

Pilot Study of Parent Psychophysiologic Outcomes in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background: Parents of children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are at risk for psychological distress. This distress may result in aberrant immune, inflammatory, or endocrine effects. These physiologic outcomes have not been reported previously.

Fatigue and Oxidative Stress in Children Undergoing Leukemia Treatment.

Fatigue is a frequent and distressing symptom in children undergoing leukemia treatment; however, little is known about factors influencing this symptom. Antioxidants such as glutathione can decrease symptom severity in adult oncology patients, but no study has evaluated antioxidants' effects on symptoms in pediatric oncology patients. This study describes fatigue patterns and associations of fatigue with antioxidants represented by reduced glutathione (GSH) and the reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio among children receiving leukemia treatment.

Use of a Pediatric Bleeding Questionnaire in the Screening of Von Willebrand Disease in Young Females at Menarche in the Primary Care Setting.

Von Willebrand disease (VWD), the most common inherited bleeding disorder, is caused by deficiency or dysfunction in von Willebrand factor. Assessment of hemorrhagic symptoms is essential for early diagnosis, although bleeding histories are taken in a nonstandardized manner. Validated bleeding assessment tools provide objectivity in evaluating bleeding patterns of females at menarche and may improve provider confidence in screening for VWD.

Reconsidering Physical Activity Restrictions for Mononephric Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group.

Although traditional recommendations for mononephric childhood cancer survivors are to avoid contact sports in order to protect the remaining kidney, review of available evidence suggests that the majority of renal loss is caused by accidents not involving sports. An interdisciplinary team performed a review of the English literature published from 1999 to 2012 within the PubMed, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and National Guidelines Clearinghouse databases. The level of evidence and proposed recommendations were graded according to an established rubric and GRADE criteria.

Team Huddle Implementation in a General Pediatric Clinic.

Teamwork and communication are critical to ensure safe and quality patient care. However, the ability to affect these constructs within well-established healthcare settings is challenging. Using a quality improvement approach, staff development educators collaborated with clinical nursing staff to implement a daily team huddle.

Measures and Methods for Symptom and Symptom Cluster Assessment in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer.

Objectives: To provide an overview of resources for measuring symptoms and symptom clusters in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer and to examine methodological strategies for evaluating symptom clusters.

Data Sources: Published research articles and clinical experience.

Conclusion: Limited research has addressed symptoms and symptom clusters in AYAs with cancer.