Date Available

12-9-2015

Year of Publication

2015

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Committee Chair

Dr. Leslie Scott

Clinical Mentor

Dr. Leslee Bertram

Committee Member

Dr. Dianna Inman

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to: (i) assess and evaluate the awareness, knowledge and current practice trends of pediatric oncology nurses as they relate to pediatric trauma-informed care. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional sample of convenience was used to assess pediatric nursing staff at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. The survey used in this study was replicated from a previous study, “Nurses’ Views and Current Practice of Trauma-Informed Pediatric Nursing Care,” authored by Kassam-Adams et al., nurses and doctors affiliated with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Nemours Child Health System, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Geisinger Health System, and Lehigh Valley Health Network (2014). Results: Participants in this study demonstrated that they have an overall understanding of traumatic stress, and most actually utilize trauma-informed practices in their everyday routine. The nurses working in the oncology unit had favorable opinions about trauma-informed practices, and felt competent about the specific aspects assessed by the survey. Conclusion: Though Oncology was the focus for this study, all medical crises like illnesses/injuries can be the cause of a traumatic stress response. Therefore it is important as a provider to aim to reduce the severity of trauma related to all illnesses/injuries in all aspects of pediatric care. The next step would be to begin performing another brief study involving an educational intervention, and develop a committee to move forward with formal educational training, and the development and implementation of the DEF Protocol within the Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

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