SIOP Africa 2017: Strengths and weaknesses of pediatric oncology nursing in Africa
At the 2017 SIOP Africa Congress, the pediatric oncology nurses identified the humanization of care “making the patients feel welcome when arriving and staying at the hospital for childhood cancer treatment” as a strength. The nurses mentioned being close to their patients and sharing their patients’ emotions and feelings during their treatment period. They said they focus on delivering safe care with the patience and courage to face a challenging patient population. Next, the nurses mentioned their strengths in pain assessment and control while caring for children and adolescents with cancer, using validated assessment tools. The nurses believed they were strong in explaining cancer care and treatment to their patients and families. Finally, they mentioned their competence and mastery of nursing practice (professional competency) for this patient population, as well as their desire to improve.
The nurses mentioned that pediatric oncology nurses in their settings in Africa were weak in re-evaluating nursing training, e.g., three months after training, to determine if there had been any impact on patient care. Participants believed that reassessing practice after beginning work with children and adolescents with cancer was essential for providing high-quality nursing care. Second, the nurses stated they were weak in knowledge and skills to conduct research and submit manuscripts for publishing. They further noted a severe lack of evidence about nursing practice in their various settings across Africa. Poor documentation of nursing actions was also identified as a weakness. The nurses believed this impacted patient care and was an issue that needed to be addressed across Africa. Participants all stated that the shortage of trained nursing staff was a major cause of their weaknesses. A final weakness identified in this workshop was the lack of knowledge and skills to conduct research and submit manuscripts for publishing.