Papers by Dianne Fochtman
A Comparative Study of Pediatric Nurses' Attitudes toward Death*
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior
ABSTRACT: The present study reports the results of a 24‐item questionnaire intended to measure at... more ABSTRACT: The present study reports the results of a 24‐item questionnaire intended to measure attitudes toward death and the care of dying patients of 47 professional and 10 nonprofessional pediatric nurses from three hospitals in the West and Midwest. There were no statistically significant differences among the nurses based on education, background, or previous clinical experience. The significant differences related mainly to the type of ward (benign, acute, or terminal) on which the nurses were working. Implications for nursing education and nursing service are discussed.
Long-term survivors make my day. I hope some day soon to start a separate long-term survivor's cl... more Long-term survivors make my day. I hope some day soon to start a separate long-term survivor's clinic, but in the meantime these patients are seen during our regular outpatient clinics which run five days a week. At least one, and often more, survivors of childhood cancer are seen in a week's time and
Identifying Nursing Research Priorities in a Pediatric Clinical Trials Cooperative Group: The Pediatric Oncology Group Experience
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 2000
If nurses involved in pediatric oncology clinical trials are to use resources and manpower most e... more If nurses involved in pediatric oncology clinical trials are to use resources and manpower most effectively, nursing research priorities must be set that meet the nursing care issues of nurses at the bedside. Using a Delphi technique, nurses from the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) were surveyed in Round 1 to discover patient care concerns or other issues in pediatric oncology nursing related to clinical trials. The 87 research ideas generated were reviewed by a panel of nurse experts, and a total of 57 unique research topics were delineated. These topics were then used for Round 2 of the Delphi study, which identified the top 10 nursing research priorities of the POG nurses participating in the study. © 2000 by Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses
The increased intensity and complexity of cancer treatment has an impact on the lives of the adol... more The increased intensity and complexity of cancer treatment has an impact on the lives of the adolescents undergoing such treatments. Living with cancer is a distinct experience for them which include physical, psychological, spiritual and social dimensions. The cancer experience comprises more than the measurement of symptom occurrence, frequency, duration and severity, or the ratings of quality oflife. The meanings of the lived experience from the adolescent's perspective and self-report can give a more accurate, holistic picture of the nature and scope of the experience. Practitioners need to know and understand the meaning of the experience from the adolescent's perspective in order to design appropriate interventions to prevent or relieve distress in these patients. The purpose of this study was to describe the meanings of the lived experience of having cancer for adolescents undergoing treatment. Phenomenology was the qualitative research methodology used. As outlined by Patricia Munhall, this methodology seeks to understand the meaning of lived experiences. Seven adolescents, 14 to 18 years of age, in treatment for cancer were interviewed. Six males and one female participated in this study. Six were receiving treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia and one for a solid tumor. All participants were of Pacific Island origin; two live in Hawaii and five were temporary residents. The audio taped interviews were transcribed and analyzed to understand the meaning of the cancer experience. The essence of the experience for the individual adolescent was described and a composite interpretation of the meaning derived. v Recommendations to healthcare providers for improving communication with adolescents in treatment for cancer are provided, including discussing death and dying early in the illness trajectory. The interdisciplinary concept of care is stressed, as well as the importance of a thorough physical examination. The importance of social support and techniques to potentially strengthen and increase this support are outlined. Solutions to the problems of school reintegration are introduced. VI
Psychosocial aspects of pediatric leukemia: From diagnosis through the first six months of treatment
Medical and Pediatric Oncology, 1983
Newly diagnosed children with leukemia and their families were subjects of a longitudinal study t... more Newly diagnosed children with leukemia and their families were subjects of a longitudinal study to describe coping behaviors, to determine adequacy of coping, and to discover predictors of healthy coping with leukemia. Families were followed for six months during which time they were interviewed, completed tests and scales, and were rated by physicians, nurses, and psychosocial staff. Families showed a wide variety of reactions and coping behaviors. The data supported the hypothesis that most families cope well despite the stresses of the first six months post-diagnosis. Based on physicians' ratings, psychosocial intervention appeared to be effective for mothers during the early outpatient phase of treatment. Age of child, previous coping, coping of other family members, a good support system, and lack of additional stresses were significantly correlated with healthy coping. The need for longitudinal assessment of coping was stressed.
Mothers as volunteers in an oncology clinic
The Journal of Pediatrics, 1976
Mothers of children who had died of cancer were successfully utilized as volunteers in a pediatri... more Mothers of children who had died of cancer were successfully utilized as volunteers in a pediatric oncology clinic to provide emotional support and practical assistance to other children afflicted with the same disease and to their families. At the start of the program these volunteers were carefully interviewed to determine their willingness and their emotional ability to participate on a consistent basis. Following an eight-week training program with a psychiatrist, a social worker, and a nurse, they began working in a large pediatric oncology clinic one day a week. Over an 18-month period they have become valuable members of the oncology team by helping to improve communications, to alleviate frustrations, and in giving additional emotional support to the children and their families.
Coping with Pediatric Leukemia: A Two-Year Follow-Up
Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 1984
Sixtyfamilies of children with acuteleukemia who participated in aprospec- tive study of family c... more Sixtyfamilies of children with acuteleukemia who participated in aprospec- tive study of family coping were assessed at 2 years postdiagnosis. A wide variety of coping behaviors wasfound. According to ratings made by physi- cians, ...
Family Coping with Childhood Leukemia: One Year After Diagnosis
Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 1982
1: J Pediatr Psychol. 1982 Jun;7(2):157-74. Family coping with childhood leukemia: one year after... more 1: J Pediatr Psychol. 1982 Jun;7(2):157-74. Family coping with childhood leukemia: one year after diagnosis. Kupst MJ, Schulman JL, Honig G, Maurer H, Morgan E, Fochtman D. Publication Types: Research ...
The Concept of Suffering in Children and Adolescents With Cancer
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 2006
Survival rates for childhood cancer have increased over the past 2 decades, due in large part to ... more Survival rates for childhood cancer have increased over the past 2 decades, due in large part to the increase in the intensity and complexity of the treatment modalities used. We can presume that this increase in intensity has produced increased distress or suffering (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual) in the child or adolescent undergoing these therapies for cancer. However, measurement of suffering is more than symptom occurrence, frequency, duration, and severity. An analysis of the concept of suffering is presented. Suffering needs to be defined and measured by self-report (as opposed to parent or staff report) to gain an accurate, complete holistic picture of the nature and scope of the child’s and adolescent’s suffering. Knowledge of how children and adolescents experience suffering would enable practitioners to design interventions to prevent or ameliorate this suffering.
Taking Risks
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 1991
Roadmaps: APON and me
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 2001
Therapeutic Relationships
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 1991
Commitment
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 1991
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 1993
Oncology Camp
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 1993
Extracurricular Activities
Journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses, 1985
ACADEMIC PROJECTS Implementation of A star algorithm(Java) Created a map and implemented the ... more ACADEMIC PROJECTS Implementation of A star algorithm(Java) Created a map and implemented the algorithm to find the shortest path to the goal from the destination. Chat Shared Whiteboard System Used Java, Swing and PostgreSQL to create a chat system so that users can chat using a whiteboard system. Using context to improve predictive modeling of customers in personalization apps (B.E. Final Year Project) ade use of Java, JavaScript, SQLite, HTML, CSS A web based tool for Online Database Normalization. Used PHP and MySQL to normalize data till BCNF. Online Hotel Booking System. Used HTML, CSS and MySQL to create a web page so that customers can do their booking online.
Tell the World
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 1985
Eulogy for a Friend
Journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses, 1987
Noise Pollution
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 1987
Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 1992
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Papers by Dianne Fochtman