Project Goals

This study addresses a research priority established by the Institute of Medicine and End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium to improve palliative and end-of-life care (PC/EOL) for pediatric patients and their families, including siblings. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of a PC/EOL communication intervention for beginning nurses who work with children with cancer and their families. Nurses are especially situated at the forefront of opportunities to communicate with children with cancer receiving PC/EOL and their family members, thus influencing their quality of life. Little is known about how nurses view their role regarding PC/EOL communication, when or how nurses initiate PC/EOL communication, and how nurses communicate with children with cancer individually and with their families during PC/EOL.