A qualitative exploration of nurses' views on technology-based interventions in pediatric oncology care

Objectives

Recent technological advancements offer tools for pediatric oncology care, but their integration into clnical practice is still under research. This study aimed to explore pediatric oncology nurses' perspectives on integrating technology-based interventions into care.

Methods

A descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was conducted with 13 pediatric oncology nurses. The focus groups were led by the research members, and each group included four to five participants. Nurses were asked to discuss their perceptions of the technology-based intervention, the type of technology used in the clinic, and the advantages and disadvantages of the technology. The focus groups were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed thematically by two study team members using MAXQDA. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research were followed.

Results

The mean age of nurses was 38.46 ± 5.23 years and 92.3 % had more than 10 years of professional experience. As a result of the focus group interviews, three main themes and seven sub-themes were identified. These main themes included: (i) Need for competence and training for technology-based interventions, (ii) Effectiveness of technology-based interventions in pediatric patient care, and (iii) Challenges in integrating technology-based interventions into care.

Conclusion

The study found that from the perspective of pediatric oncology nurses, technology-based interventions have multifaceted benefits and are effective in improving patient outcomes and care; however, nurses' limited ability to use technology-based interventions restricts them from integrating their care.

Implications to practice

It is recommended that nurses should be trained on technology-based interventions and the safe use of these interventions.