Nov. 11, 2014
Childhood cancer care takes toll on pediatric oncology nurses
Nancy Moules, left, with Angela Morck who is researching the impact on nurses of working in pediatri
When a child dies from cancer, it is almost unbearably tragic for family and friends. And, as a recent research study indicates, it may also adversely affect the career of the registered nurse who cared for that child.
In her doctoral research, Faculty of Nursing graduate student Angela Morck, who will convocate on Monday, examined the effects of a death of a child on the pediatric oncology nurse. She discovered that nurses struggle to navigate the ideals of nursing versus the realities of practice when working with dying children.
“There is a continual need to balance their personal experiences with those encountered professionally in order to be sustained and remain in their work,” explains Morck, whose background in psychology and mental health added to her interest in nurses’ experience. "There needs to be a reminder that death continues to be an unfortunate constant in that work.
See the full story in the November 7, 2014 edition of UToday