Role of the Nurse in a Children's Cancer Clinic

Abstract

THE Hematology and Oncology Clinic here at Children's Orthopedic Hospital and Medical Center under the direction of Dr. John Hartmann started with one small room. We admitted all patients to the hospital inpatient service for intravenous medication, bone marrows, and blood transfusions. Recognition of the growing importance of outpatient care led to the establishment of our present clinic which consists of four rooms: a waiting room, an office for doctors and nurses, and two treatment rooms. There is a very relaxed atmosphere in our small waiting room which includes a large fish bowl. One of the walls in the waiting room is covered with pictures, either sketched, drawn, or colored by the patients. The personnel give sincere praise when a child comes in with a sample of his art work, and snapshots of every patient are hung plainly in view. The children are always bringing something to the nurse or to the aide. For example, a little 3-year-old child came in the other morning clutching a crushed dandelion for the aide. Staffing is one of the most important things in setting up a hematology clinic. We have one regular nurse and one aide, Monday through Friday. Weekend and evening coverage is by emergency room nurses, and after midnight it is by the night supervisor. We have a nurse and social worker who make home visits when necessary. There are also two volunteers who give of their time and of themselves in every way. The nurses rotate in the 40 different specialty clinics of the outpatient department. This is not true of our hematology clinic.