despite the small sample size, massage therapy appears to be a useful intervention in reducing pain in children with cancer. However, there are still questions regarding the effectiveness of this massage protocol. The authors recommend its use due to its contribution to the promotion of the child's well-being and quality of life.

Objectives: to evaluate the cognitive learning of nursing students in neonatal clinical evaluation from a blended course with the use of computer and laboratory simulation; to compare the cognitive learning of students in a control and experimental group testing the laboratory simulation; and to assess the extracurricular blended course offered on the clinical assessment of preterm infants, according to the students. Method: a quasi-experimental study with 14 Portuguese students, containing pretest, midterm test and post-test. The technologies offered in the course were serious game e-Baby, instructional software of semiology and semiotechnique, and laboratory simulation. Data collection tools developed for this study were used for the course evaluation and characterization of the students. Nonparametric statistics were used: Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon. Results: the use of validated digital technologies and laboratory simulation demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001) in the learning of the participants. The course was evaluated as very satisfactory for them. The laboratory simulation alone did not represent a significant difference in the learning. Conclusions: the cognitive learning of participants increased significantly. The use of technology can be partly responsible for the course success, showing it to be an important teaching tool for innovation and motivation of learning in healthcare.

ObjectivesSafe pharmaceutical care (PC) requires an interprofessional team approach, involving physicians, nurses and pharmacists. Nurses’ roles however, are not always explicit and clear, complicating interprofessional collaboration. The aim of this study is to describe nurses’ practice and interprofessional collaboration in PC, from the viewpoint of nurses, physicians and pharmacists.DesignA cross-sectional survey.SettingThe study was conducted in 17 European countries, each with their own health systems.ParticipantsPharmacists, physicians and nurses with an active role in PC were surveyed.Main outcome measuresNurses’ involvement in PC, experiences of interprofessional collaboration and communication and views on nurses’ competences.ResultsA total of 4888 nurses, 974 physicians and 857 pharmacists from 17 European countries responded. Providing patient education and information (PEI), monitoring medicines adherence (MMA), monitoring adverse/therapeutic effects (ME) and prescribing medicines were considered integral to nursing practice by 78%, 73%, 69% and 15% of nurses, respectively. Most respondents were convinced that quality of PC would be improved by increasing nurses’ involvement in ME (95%), MMA (95%), PEI (91%) and prescribing (53%). Mean scores for the reported quality of collaboration between nurses and physicians, collaboration between nurses and pharmacists and interprofessional communication were respectively <7/10, ≤4/10, <6/10 for all four aspects of PC.ConclusionsME, MMA, PEI and prescribing are part of nurses’ activities, and most healthcare professionals felt their involvement should be extended. Collaboration between nurses and physicians on PC is limited and between nurses and pharmacists even more.

ResumenEl estudio describe y compara dos métodos de fijación de catéteres venosos periféricos con y sin recurso a inmovilización con férula, y su interferencia en la comodidad, desarrollo de actividades del día a día, complicaciones clínicas y su persistencia. Se realizó un estudio prospectivo y descriptivo que se aplicó a niños hasta los 10 años ingresados en dos hospitales y que necesitaban catéteres venosos periféricos recurriendo a punción con una aguja tipo abocath. La selección de los 59 casos que fueron objeto de este estudio fue de naturaleza consecutiva. El análisis llevado a cabo ha demostrado que la fijación de catéteres venosos periféricos con recurso a una férula interfiere en las actividades del día a día pero disminuye el riesgo de posibles complicaciones. Esta técnica sigue siendo polémica y su uso rutinario requiere una decisión ponderada, dada su interferencia en las actividades de la vida del niño.

Purpose To compare sleep and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents with cancer who had pain, with those who had no pain during hospitalisation. Method A prospective comparative study was used to collect data from paediatric oncology units in three countries (Portugal, Brazil, USA). Participants (n = 118; 8–18 years) completed the Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Cancer module, which includes a pain subscale, and wore a wrist actigraph for at least 72 hr. Results Almost half of the participants (48.3%) reported having pain. Sleep patterns were not affected by pain. Girls, adolescents and patients diagnosed with leukaemia/lymphoma who reported pain, had significantly lower HRQOL scores. Low sleep duration and HRQOL were found, irrespectively of pain status. Conclusions The low sleep duration and HRQOL score in children and adolescents with cancer highlight the importance of physical and psychosocial nursing interventions during hospitalisation. The mediating effect of gender, age and diagnoses on the relation between pain and HRQOL needs to be further understood.