Pediatric oncology nursing practice has evolved over the years as new technology and trends in health care have precipitated change. Three pediatric oncology nursing leaders share their perspectives on nursing practice as it relates to treatment of a child with leukemia during four different points in time. Their comments illustrate the challenges, resources, and rewards. Their reflections, combined with a survey of the literature over the past half a century, show the dramatic impact of advances in supportive care on the practice of caring for a child with cancer. It is also evident that as the cure rate has increased, so have the efforts to improve quality of life. What has transcended time is the delivery of consistent and compassionate care, the education of patients and families, and the dedication to advocacy and support.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses. (2000). Scope of practice and standards of care.Washington, DC: American Nurses Publishing.
2.
BleyerW.A. (1990). Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children: Advances and prospectus.Cancer, 65, 689–695.
3.
BrennerK. & PinkelD. (1999). Cure of leukemia.Seminars in Hematology, 36, 73–83.
4.
BurchenalJ.H., MurphyM.L. & EllisonR.R. (1953). Clinical evaluation of a new antimetabolite, 6-mercaptopurine, in the treatment of leukemia and allied diseases.Blood, 8, 965–999.
5.
D'AngioG.J., EvansA.E. & MilusA. (1959). Roentgen therapy of certain complications of acute leukemia in childhood.American Journal of Roentgenology, Rradium Therapy and Nuclear Medicine, 82(3), 541–553.
6.
EvansA.E. (1968). If a child must die.The New England Journal of Medicine, 278(3), 138–142.
7.
EvansA.E. (1982). Leukemia: Historical development of cancer therapy.Frontiers in Radiation Therapy in Oncology, 16, 18–29.
8.
FarberS., DiamondL.K., MercerR.D., SylvesterR.F. & WolffJ.A. (1948). Temporary remissions in acute leukemia in children produced by folic acid antagonist, 4-aminopteroyl-glutamic acid (aminopterin).The New England Journal of Medicine, 238(23), 788–793.
GershonA.A., SteinberS. & BrunellP.A. (1974). Zoster immunoglobulin: A further assessment.New England Journal of Medicine, 290, 243–245.
11.
GoldeD.W. & GassonJ.C. (1988). Hormones that stimulate the growth of blood cells.Scientific American, 259, 62–70.
12.
GreeneP.E. (1985). The association of pediatric oncology nurses: The first 10 years.Oncology Nursing Forum, 12(7), 44–48.
13.
GyvesJ., EnsmingerW., NeiderhuberJ., LiepmanM., CozziE., DoanK., DakhilS. & WheelerK. (1982). Totally implanted system for intravenous chemotherapy in patients with cancer.American Journal of Medicine, 73(6), 841–845.
14.
HalperinD.L., KorenG., AttiasD., PellegriniE., GreenbergM.L. & WyssM. (1989). Topical skin anesthesia for venous, subcutaneous drug reservoir and lumbar punctures in children.Pediatrics, 84(2), 281–284.
15.
HughesW.T., FeldmanS. & SanyalS.K. (1975). Treatment of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.Canadian Medical Association Journal, 112(13 Spec HO), 47–50.
16.
IveyM.F., AdamS.M., HickmanR.O. & GibsonD.L. (1978). Right atria] dwelling catheter for patients requiring long-term intravenous therapy.American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 35, 1525–1527.
17.
Keegan-WellsD., JamesK. & MooreK. (1998). A pilot study to test the instrument: The care of my child with cancer.Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 15, 136.
18.
KimT., NesbitM., D'AngioG.J. & LevittS.H. (1972). The role of CNS irradiation in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Radiology, 104, 635–641.
19.
LittmanP., CocciaP., BleyerW.A., LukensJ., SiegelS., MillerD., SatherH. & HammondD. (1987). Central nervous system prophylaxis in children with low risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia.International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics, 13, 1443–1449.
20.
NachmanJ.B., SatherH.N., SenselM.G., TriggM.E., CherlowJ.M., LukensJ.N., WolffL., UckunF.M. & GaynonP.S. (1998). Augmented post induction therapy for children with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia and a slow response to initial therapy.New England Journal of Medicine, 338(23), 1663–1671.
21.
NesbitM.E., SatherH., RobisonL.L., DonaldsonM., LittmanP., OrtegaJ.A. & HammondG.D. (1982). Sanctuary therapy: A randomized trial of 724 children with previously untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A report from the Children's Cancer Study Group.Cancer Research, 42(2), 674–680.
22.
OrtegaJ.A., NesbitM.E., DonaldsonM.H., HittleR.E., WeinerJ., KaronM. & HammondD. (1977). L'Asparginase, vincristine, and prednisone for induction of first remission in acute lymphocytic leukemia.Cancer Research, 37(2), 535–540.
23.
PearsonO.H., ElielL.P. & TalbotT.R. (1950). The use of ACTH and cortisone in neoplastic diseases.Academic Medicine, 26, 235.
24.
ProberC.G., KirkL.E. & KeeneyR.E. (1982). Acyclovir therapy of chickenpox in immunosuppressed children: A collaborative study.Journal of Pediatrics, 101, 622–625.
25.
PuiC.H. (2000). Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children.Current Opinions in Oncology, 12(1), 2–12.
26.
PuiC.H. & EvansW.E. (1998). Acute lymphoblastic leukemia.The New England Journal of Medicine, 339(9), 605–614.
27.
RiveraG.K. (1994). Advances in therapy for childhood non-B-lymphocytic leukaemia.Baillier's Clinical Haematology, 7(2), 273–298.
28.
RuccioneK. & KellyK.P. (2000). Pediatric oncology nursing in cooperative group clinical trials comes of age.Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 16(4), 253–260.
29.
SallanS.E. & BilletA.B. (1997). Management of nausea and vomiting. In PizzoP.A., & PoplackD.G. (Eds.), Principles and practice of pediatric oncology (3rd ed.), p. 1203. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven.
30.
SatherH., MillerD. & NesbitM. (1980). Differences in male/female prognosis for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Proceeds of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 21, 442.
31.
SieversT.D., YeeJ.D., FoleyM.E., BlandingP.J. & BerdeC.B. (1991). Midazolam for conscious sedation during pediatric oncology procedures: Safety and recovery parameters.Pediatrics, 88, 1172–1179.
32.
SmithM., ArthurD., CamittaB., CarrollA.J., CristW., GaynonP., GelberR., HeeremaN., KornE.L., LinkM., MurphyS., PuiC.H., PullenJ., ReamanG., SallanS.V., SatherH., ShusterJ., SimonR., TriggM., TubergenD., UckunF. & UngerleiderR. (1996). Uniform approach to risk classification and treatment assignment for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Journal of Clinical Oncology, 14(1), 18–24.
