Humanistic program evaluation : application to an Oregon high school counseling program

The primary problem of this study was to evaluate the post-high school plans component of a high school counseling program. The intent was to determine the effectiveness of the program component in relation to the purpose it was designed to serve: providing information and guidance for high school students who were making decisions about what they would do after graduation from high school. Secondary problems were the choice of an approach to evaluation and the methods to be used to implement that approach. A humanistic approach, which would give access to qualitative information, implemented through intensive interviewing and participant observation, was selected. The method of intensive interviewing was implemented through an open-ended interview format which asked for both information and opinions from respondents. Participant observation was carried out during both formal program activities and informal events which occurred relative to the program component studied, and involved counselors, teachers, students, administrators, and parents. Ninety-eight of the 107 students in the 1982 graduating class of Douglas High School participated in interviews conducted between December 1, 1981 and March 15, 1982. Observations of formal program events took place throughout the academic year during which the study was conducted. Informal observations had occurred throughout the four years during which the researcher had been a member of the professional staff of the institution in which the study occurred. Major findings included support for the efficacy of the methodology employed as well as evaluations of the program component. As regards methodology, the interview and observation techniques revealed material unlikely to emerge in more objective (rating scale, management-by- objectives, or classic research design) methods. Students in interviews explained their reactions to program events, providing qualifications that more objective but less sensitive methods would obscure. The interviewer clarified questions to be certain students understood what they were answering, a procedure impossible with an objective rating scale. Observations of activities revealed the nature of relationships which existed in the institution, variations in relationships over time or changing situations, and the influence of relationships on the effectiveness of program components. As regards evaluation, the program component was weak in the following areas: counseling services were inadequately publicized; students were inadequately informed of career options in the military (specifically, in military academies and through Reserve Officer Training programs); scholarship information was poorly organized for student use and inadequately publicized; and career guidance beyond the freshman career exploration class was insufficient. The program component showed positive strengths in such areas as annual pre-enrollment of students; keeping students informed of progress toward credits for graduation; providing informational workshops in preparation of scholarship applications, financial aid, and the Scholastic Aptitude Test; providing access to military recruiters at student request; maintaining a library of college and career information; responding to student and parent requests for assistance; and exhibiting concern for and providing counseling services for individual students

Patient/Family Education for Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Oncology Patients

There is a paucity of data to support evidence-based practices in the provision of patient/family education in the context of a new childhood cancer diagnosis. Since the majority of children with cancer are treated on pediatric oncology clinical trials, lack of effective patient/family education has the potential to negatively affect both patient and clinical trial outcomes. The Children’s Oncology Group Nursing Discipline convened an interprofessional expert panel from within and beyond pediatric oncology to review available and emerging evidence and develop expert consensus recommendations regarding harmonization of patient/family education practices for newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients across institutions. Five broad principles, with associated recommendations, were identified by the panel, including recognition that (1) in pediatric oncology, patient/family education is family-centered; (2) a diagnosis of childhood cancer is overwhelming and the family needs time to process the diagnosis and develop a plan for managing ongoing life demands before they can successfully learn to care for the child; (3) patient/family education should be an interprofessional endeavor with 3 key areas of focus: (a) diagnosis/treatment, (b) psychosocial coping, and (c) care of the child; (4) patient/family education should occur across the continuum of care; and (5) a supportive environment is necessary to optimize learning. Dissemination and implementation of these recommendations will set the stage for future studies that aim to develop evidence to inform best practices, and ultimately to establish the standard of care for effective patient/family education in pediatric oncology

Nurse-Led Programs to Facilitate Enrollment to Children\u27s Oncology Group Cancer Control Trials.

The progress made over the past 50 years in disease-directed clinical trials has significantly increased cure rates for children and adolescents with cancer. The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) is now conducting more studies that emphasize improving quality of life for young people with cancer. These types of clinical trials are classified as cancer control (CCL) studies by the National Cancer Institute and require different resources and approaches to facilitate adequate accrual and implementation at COG institutions. Several COG institutions that had previously experienced problems with low accruals to CCL trials have successfully implemented local nursing leadership for these types of studies. Successful models of nurses as institutional leaders and “champions” of CCL trials are described