NURSES’ ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY PATIENTS IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE QUALITY OF NURSING CARE THEY PROVIDE: A CASE STUDY OF KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL.

Abstract

Cancer is a disease that creates fear and uncertainty in individuals in our society. This is mainly

due to its poor prognosis. It is therefore regarded as not only a fatal disease, but also as a symbol of death.

Cultural beliefs and practices play a big role in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A patient becoming ill

is a social progress that involves other people besides the patient. In the African belief system, misfortunes

such as ill health, natural disaster, or death do not just occur, but are perceived to be pre-destined. The

objective of this study was to document nurses’ attitudes and perceptions towards pediatric cancer patients.

This research was conducted in pediatric oncology unit in Ward 1E, Medical Wards 3A, 3B, 3C,

and 3D at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). The study population was drawn from wards 1E, 3A,

3B, 3C, and 3D. The criteria used to include subjects were: all nurses who had been deployed to the

selected wards at the time of the study. Target respondents must have held a minimum qualification of

certificate in nursing (ECN, KRCHN, BSc.N, and MSc.N) and had been registered with the Nursing

Council of Kenya (NCK) at the time of the study. The target respondent should also have worked for

a minimum of one year. A list of all nurses ( sampling frame) working in wards 1 E, 3A, 3B, 3C and

3D was obtained from the Chief Nurse’s office. There were approximately 129 nurses who comprised

the study population. The sample size calculation was done using Cochran’s classical formula for

sample size determination in surveys (Czaja & Blair, 2005). A total of 97 nurses were sampled for this

study but only seventy nurses (representing 72.2 % of the total targeted sample size) participated in

the study. A simple random sampling procedure was used to select nurses to participate in the study.

The results show that there is indeed significant relationship between the factors that

explain nurse’s attitudes and perceptions and the quality of care he/she gives to the patients.

The results suggest that there is a relationship between the nurses’ perception and attitudes

towards pediatric cancers and the quality of care they give to pediatric oncology patients