The importance of communication in pediatric oncology palliative care: focus on Humanistic Nursing Theory.
By: França, Jael Rúbia Figueiredo de Sá, Costa, Solange Fátima Geraldo da, Lopes, Maria Emilia Limeira, Nóbrega, Maria Miriam Lima da, & França, Inacia Sátiro Xavier de
This research investigated and analyzed communication in palliative care contexts from the perspective of nurses, based on Humanistic Nursing Theory.
In the Nursing field, communication is an extremely important tool in the provision of palliative care to patients with no possibility of cure, especially when the patient is a child with cancer. The habits of the child changes to a subject to restrictions, isolation, has to abandon routine activities, and face recurrent hospitalizations that cause intense suffering.
The palliative nursing care provided to children with cancer guided by Humanistic Theory, seeks to preserve the patient's physical, moral, emotional and spiritual integrity through objective and flexible care that values distinct worlds: the inner world (I) and outer world (YOU), where the YOU is present.
The most evident symptom in pediatric oncology is pain, and for a child to be in such a situation the use of the right communication is important. Although nurses are supposed to show empathy at the same time they should not show their feelings in the presence of the child because they can perceive this. If the nurse gets to the patient with a serious look on her face, the child already knows something that will cause suffering is coming so nurse has to transmit joy.
When genuine presence of care is established, this leads to effective communication, bonding and the establishment of trust between the nurses and these children, as in palliative care. Within this category, the interviewees refer to the importance of human relationships, showing that both verbal and non-verbal communication established with the child experiencing the process of terminal illness, is considered to be the basis of a good interpersonal relationship, intended to enable being-better, as the following testimonies show:
A study conducted in Australia from 2003 to 2005 with 24 parents of children who had died from cancer revealed that the parents correlated palliative care, communication and honest relationships among professionals, parents and children, with the children being comfortable. Nurses stood out as the professionals who were the closest, established the strongest bonds, and were best able to meet the needs of the child/family dyad.
Canadian researchers investigated the opinions of the parents of children receiving palliative care regarding their perspectives concerning professional support for decision-making and collected expressive testimonies reporting the support they received, and the relevance of honest communication and holistic care.
Communication is an efficacious element in the care provided to the child with cancer and is extremely important to promoting palliative care when it is based on Humanistic Nursing Theory.
The communication between nurses and children with cancer is perceived as an authentic presence, available to be with another, to understand and help others. Honesty and openness is important in this relationship with the child to understand his/her experience and develop care to its full potential, based on palliative care, on the demonstration of affection, attention and sensitivity to truly be with another, and to reassure another through verbal and nonverbal communication.
By: França, Jael Rúbia Figueiredo de Sá, Costa, Solange Fátima Geraldo da, Lopes, Maria Emilia Limeira, Nóbrega, Maria Miriam Lima da, & França, Inacia Sátiro Xavier de
This research investigated and analyzed communication in palliative care contexts from the perspective of nurses, based on Humanistic Nursing Theory.
In the Nursing field, communication is an extremely important tool in the provision of palliative care to patients with no possibility of cure, especially when the patient is a child with cancer. The habits of the child changes to a subject to restrictions, isolation, has to abandon routine activities, and face recurrent hospitalizations that cause intense suffering.
The palliative nursing care provided to children with cancer guided by Humanistic Theory, seeks to preserve the patient's physical, moral, emotional and spiritual integrity through objective and flexible care that values distinct worlds: the inner world (I) and outer world (YOU), where the YOU is present.
The most evident symptom in pediatric oncology is pain, and for a child to be in such a situation the use of the right communication is important. Although nurses are supposed to show empathy at the same time they should not show their feelings in the presence of the child because they can perceive this. If the nurse gets to the patient with a serious look on her face, the child already knows something that will cause suffering is coming so nurse has to transmit joy.
When genuine presence of care is established, this leads to effective communication, bonding and the establishment of trust between the nurses and these children, as in palliative care. Within this category, the interviewees refer to the importance of human relationships, showing that both verbal and non-verbal communication established with the child experiencing the process of terminal illness, is considered to be the basis of a good interpersonal relationship, intended to enable being-better, as the following testimonies show:
A study conducted in Australia from 2003 to 2005 with 24 parents of children who had died from cancer revealed that the parents correlated palliative care, communication and honest relationships among professionals, parents and children, with the children being comfortable. Nurses stood out as the professionals who were the closest, established the strongest bonds, and were best able to meet the needs of the child/family dyad.
Canadian researchers investigated the opinions of the parents of children receiving palliative care regarding their perspectives concerning professional support for decision-making and collected expressive testimonies reporting the support they received, and the relevance of honest communication and holistic care.
Communication is an efficacious element in the care provided to the child with cancer and is extremely important to promoting palliative care when it is based on Humanistic Nursing Theory.
The communication between nurses and children with cancer is perceived as an authentic presence, available to be with another, to understand and help others. Honesty and openness is important in this relationship with the child to understand his/her experience and develop care to its full potential, based on palliative care, on the demonstration of affection, attention and sensitivity to truly be with another, and to reassure another through verbal and nonverbal communication.