School Reentry for Children With Cancer: Perceptions of Nurses, School Personnel, and Parents

Abstract

The purpose of this interdisciplinary descriptive study was to examine the perceptions of nurses, school personnel, and parents about school reentry for children with cancer and to determine whether activities and services performed supported school reentry. The study also investigated parents' perception of the impact of cancer on their child's academic performance, cognitive ability, and school attendance. Results of the study showed that few activities and services were performed to facilitate children's school reentry by either nurses or school personnel. Parents reported no significant differences in their children's cognitive ability or academic performance. School attendance was significantly lower after diagnosis and therapy. Conclusions were that communication among nurses, school personnel, and parents was a major barrier to providing effective services to students and their parents. Nurses were unsure of how to help parents navigate the school bureaucracy, school personnel felt they needed more information, and parents felt that their children were not receiving all the school reentry services needed. Individuals in this study recommended that a liaison position be created to coordinate services.