Testing the stress-response sequence model in paediatric oncology nursing.

The causes and intensity of role-related stress experienced by paediatric oncology nurses, the nurses' ability to respond to the stressors, and the professional and personal consequences of those stressors for the nurses are issues of concern for administrators and staff. The concern evolves from the anticipated relationships among stressors, the ability to cope with role-related stressors, and the expected negative outcomes such as resignation. However, the relationships among these components have not been previously measured concurrently in paediatric oncology nurses. The primary purpose of this study was to test the complete stress-response sequence model in a sample of paediatric oncology nurses by obtaining concurrent measures of the model's individual components: nurses' stressors, reactions, mediators, and consequences. A total of 126 nurses completed six questionnaires (Stressor Scale for Paediatric Oncology Nurses, Perceived Stress Scale, Measure of Job Satisfaction, Organized Commitment Questionnaire, Group Cohesion Scale, and Intent to Leave) and a demographic sheet. The majority of participating nurses were married, worked full-time and had worked 5 or more years in oncology. Qualitative data were analysed using a semantic content analysis technique. Relationships among the components of the model were examined using a two-stage least squares technique. The components were only weakly associated and unable to explain significant variation in each other. The combined qualitative and quantitative data indicate that an important explanatory variable - role-related meaning - is missing in the content model.

The impact of a grief workshop for pediatric oncology nurses on their grief and perceived stress.

Coping with the death of a pediatric patient with whom the nurses has developed a close relationship is reported by nurses as the most stressful experience of being a pediatric nurse. Such losses are inevitable for a pediatric nurse regardless of subspecialty and can contribute to a nurse leaving the specialty or the discipline. To prevent those consequences, nurses' grief needs to be acknowledged, and their grieving needs to be facilitated. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a grief workshop on grief symptoms and perceived stress in two groups of pediatric oncology nurses who differed in years of experience in the specialty. Study findings indicated that the workshop affected the two groups differently, with the more experienced nurses reporting significantly higher stress levels after the workshop than did the less experienced nurses. Study findings are interpreted and recommendations for future work are offered.

The 1992 APON Delphi study to establish research priorities for pediatric oncology nursing. Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses.

The Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses (APON) recently sponsored a two-wave Delphi study to identify the most important research priorities for pediatric oncology nursing. Seventy-five research priorities were rated for importance by 227 APON members. The majority of these members were inpatient or ambulatory care nurses who had been in pediatric oncology more than 25 months. The top 10 research priorities were primarily about nursing procedures and psychosocial care needs of patients and families. The top priority was to "measure the quality of life and late effects of treatment in long-term survivors of childhood cancer." Study findings will be used to encourage researchers to conduct research on these priorities and to encourage funding organizations to support research related to these priorities.