Paliatívna medicína a liečba bolesti 1-2e/2018

The nurse’s role in caring for a child during chemotherapy

The aim of the present article is to describe the nurse’s role in the nursing care of a child during chemotherapy. The article is aimed at crucial nursing activities that are characteristic for paediatric oncology and oriented at nursing issues arising in association with side effects of chemotherapy. The study is conducted as a theoretical review paper. To achieve the objectives set, the method of qualitative research was employed using the technique of secondary analysis of relevant sources. Pictorial supplements were obtained from the Department of Paediatric Oncology of the Brno University Hospital. Paediatric oncology is a field that has become an integral part of contemporary modern medicine and, owing to major progress in the treatment of tumour disease, nearly 85% of paediatric patients can be cured nowadays. Currently, both nursing and medical care of children with an oncological disease are at a top level and, unlike the past, the patients have a substantially higher chance of being cured.

Keywords: child, nurse, oncology, chemotherapy, cytostatics