Digital Training Module for Sustainable Education of Pediatric Oncology Nurses

Development of a Digital Training Module for Sustainable Education of Pediatric Oncology Nurses and Evaluation of Its Effectiveness

Pediatric oncology nurses are healthcare professionals who constantly communicate with children and their families for 24 hours, and take professional roles and responsibilities in areas such as care planning, a continuation of treatment, and symptom management.However, there is no standard undergraduate education program accepted worldwide in the field of pediatric oncology nursing. For example, undergraduate nursing education in Türkiye is carried out in line with the Nursing National Core Education Program (NNCEP), and information about pediatric oncology nursing is included in the curriculum of specific courses in undergraduate programs. In addition, nurses graduate without specializing in any field in our country. Therefore, the education of pediatric oncology nurses and the continuity of education is an essential problem in developing and low-middle-income countries like our country. This prospective study in randomized controlled pre-test-post-test design aimed to develop an online website consisting of information and support modules for the care of children with cancer for sustainable pediatric oncology nursing education in Türkiye.

In developed countries, there are various programs for pediatric oncology nurses to improve the quality of nursing care. Unfortunately, the inadequacy of these education programs in developing countries may prevent childhood cancer patients from receiving advanced care but may cause health inequalities. For this reason, it is very important to strengthen pediatric oncology nurses in terms of education and to develop platforms that will provide education continuity in low and middle-income countries. Today, one of the methods used to ensure the continuity and easy accessibility of education is digital education programs. Web-based education programs can increase nurses' knowledge and competence in related care issues. In studies, nurses state that planned educations were beneficial and increased their knowledge level. An accessible and sustainable web-based standard education program will enable nurses to become more competent in pediatric oncology and increase the quality of care. In Türkiye, which is a middle-income country, there is no standard curriculum for pediatric oncology nurses. Although pediatric oncology nursing is partially included in the oncology nursing certification program by the Oncology Nursing Association, we could say that it is insufficient to meet nurses' sustainability and educational needs. Therefore, there is a need for a digital website consisting of information and support modules to care for children with cancers for sustainable pediatric oncology nursing education in Türkiye.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Volunteer to participate in the research,
• Working in a pediatric oncology clinic,
• Having at least one year of experience in pediatric oncology.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lack of Internet literacy,
• Incomplete filling of data collection forms.