Checklist developed for parents of children with cancer

(HealthDay)—A standardized, time-sensitive checklist can help guide the education process for parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer, according to an article published online March 28 in the Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing.

Cheryl Rodgers, Ph.D., R.N., from Duke University in Durham, N.C., and colleagues developed a standardized checklist to guide nursing education provided to parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Current hospital educational checklists, expert consensus recommendations, and a series of iterative activities and discussions were used by a team comprising 19 nurses and two parent advocates to develop a standardized checklist.

According to the authors, the final checklist specifies primary (e.g., who and when to call for help, medication dose/frequency, and postoperative wound care), secondary (e.g., side effects of cancer treatment and nutrition), and tertiary topics (e.g., risky behaviors to avoid, coping skills, and insurance issues) that are essential to teach before initial hospital discharge, within the first month after diagnosis, and before completion of therapy, respectively.

"Focusing education on the most important topics before the first hospital discharge and only teaching additional topics if parents have time to understand can help parents remember the important, relevant information," the authors said in a press release. "This method can also prevent information overload for parents."

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