Implementing a pediatric oncology nursing multisite trial.

Purpose/Background The Parent Educational Discharge Support Strategies (PEDSS) nursing study includes 16 magnet pediatric oncology institutions across the United States and one in Saudi Arabia, evaluating a nurse-led parent educational discharge support strategy for families experiencing a child newly diagnosed with cancer. Methods During the first 3 months of the study, a research implementation survey was administered electronically to each site principal investigator to evaluate facilitators and barriers in the research process for this multisite nurse-led pediatric oncology study. Results Facilitators included nursing leadership support and commitment from the nursing staff. Common barriers reported were the Institutional Review Board process, the consent process, the timing of the intervention, data collection, as well as nursing time for the study. Results from the survey suggest nurse-led research teams were motivated and felt the intervention was easy to deliver. Practice Implications Nursing practice is enhanced when nurses participate in research and generate evidence regarding best practices within pediatric oncology nursing care. Conclusion Nursing research endeavors focusing on collaborative approaches for implementation can lead to successful nursing studies with careful planning, training and administrative support.