Paediatric Oncology Ward Nurses’ Experiences of Patients’ Deaths in China: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Considering cancer death is second only to accidental death in the number of lives claimed each year,nurses in paediatric oncology wards often experience helplessness, sadness, frustration and such other adverse emotions when they witness children’s death due to cancer.However,there is a lack of qualitative studies on nurses who witness the death of children in paediatric oncology wards in China. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses in the paediatric oncology wards at three children’s hospitals in Jiangsu,China,between January and June 2019.A total of 22 paediatric oncology ward nurses (18 female and 4male) aged between 26 and 39 years were enrolled. A previously developed and pilot-tested interview guide was used for the interviews. The number of interviews was determined by data saturation.Results: Nurses in paediatric oncology wards have strong stress responses to facing the death of children. They reported experiencing complex psychological feelings and have different coping attitudes. Nursing managers should pay attention to problems faced by nurses in paediatric oncology wards, and take targeted measures in terms of continuing training courses, improving the psychological adaptability of oncology professional nurses, and providing them substantive support.Conclusion: The findings of this study increase the knowledge and understanding regarding a seldom-studied topic in China. Healthcare authorities should recognise and understand the needs of paediatric oncology ward nurses,who often witness the death of children.Appropriate and effective support measures should be planned and implemented for these nurses to maintain their mental health, thus enabling them to better serve patients.

Addressing the global pediatric oncology nursing workforce gap: An overdue imperative

“…Placing nurses in the position of caring for children and adolescents with cancer without the necessary education and mentoring contributes to low job motivation, fear for personal safety, and job dissatisfaction. 18,19 2020, the Year of the Nurse as recognized by the WHO, International Council of Nursing and Nursing NOW, also saw the start of a corona virus pandemic. As this pandemic continues, it has brought into stark relief the critical role of the nursing workforce worldwide as oncology nurses have been remanded to Covid-19 wards and many nurses worldwide have either burned out or quit nursing, retired, or died.…”