Hvilken kompetanse er nødvendig for barnesykepleieren å ha i omsorg for barn der sykdomsrettet behandling er avsluttet? En scoping review

Abstract

Abstract Background: Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is an emerging field that requires a certain expertise that is still missing among the nursing workforce in hospitals. Through this master thesis, the students aim to contribute to the fields development. Objective: The study aims to explore what is known about nurses’ competencies within PPC in end-of-life (EOL) care. Results will be presented in an article manuscript and a thesis overview. The students aim to answer “What competencies are necessary for the pediatric nurse in care for children where disease-oriented treatment has been discontinued? A scoping review” Methods: The research followed Arksey and O'Malley’s framework and the first two synthesis steps from Thomas and Harden. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched, with Covidence used for screening against eligibility criteria. Thematic analysis identified key descriptive themes, presented in the article manuscript. This thesis also reflects on the research process and discusses additional themes not included in the manuscript. Results: Seven articles met the final inclusion criteria. Five main themes were identified; (1) Communication as a Cornerstone in Pediatric EOL care; (2) Essential Competency in Managing Symptoms and Recognizing Impending Death; (3) Pain management; (4) Cultural and Emotional Aspects of a Childs Death; and (5) Decision-making and Ethical Challenges in Pediatric EOL care. Conclusion: Included articles showed that five descriptive themes are central to the competencies of pediatric nurses in PPC. To enhance competency, educational themes are more critical than the pedagogical methods used. Improved competence empowers pediatric nurses to deliver compassionate, skilled, and holistic care.