Annually around 3500 children and young adults are diagnosed with cancer in the UK.
While five year childhood cancer survival rates are high, many will experience long-term health problems
as a result of their illness and its treatment. Providing late effects services is vital for this group of
patients. The skills and expertise needed for nurses working within these services has not been
systematically clarified or agreed.
Purpose of the research: To identify and compare the views of managers and nurses on the ideal and
existing role of nurses in the provision of late effects care.
Methods and sample: Structured questionnaires were utilised to collect data in two phases. Phase 1
captured the views of 80 health service managers and clinicians on ideal roles; Phase 2 captured the
perspectives of 36 nurses in existing roles. Questionnaires were distributed via children, teenage and
young adult treatment centres across England, UK. The data were tabulated using descriptive statistics
while differences were analysed using chi-squared tests.
Key results: The findings identified ideal and actual roles from the perspectives of managers and nurses.
Differences were identified in a number of domains. The nurses’ role was clinically and patient-care
focused, containing fewer elements relating to service development, research or education.
Conclusion: Our work has identified existing and ideal roles for nurses providing late effects services. This
information has provided the foundation for the development of a nurse competence framework which
has been ratified by the Royal College of Nursing, UK.