Compassion as a Tool to Enhance Communication Between Nurses and Children in the Oncology Pediatric Ward

This research project (RP) presents a communication tool designed through an experience-based co-design (EBCD) method that aims to increase empathy and establish an emotional connection between pediatric oncology patients and the nurses that care for them. We ask: What value can the personal experiences of participants bring to the design process of a tool that is intended for their use? We explore this question by first conducting a series of interviews with four pediatric oncology patients and nine nurses of the pediatric oncology ward, focused on identifying and understanding the emotions they experience during the different procedures that take place during the patients’ stay in the hospital. The data collected during these interviews were used to create emotional maps that directly informed the design of a mobile application, which allows users to collaborate by recording customized audio stating their feelings and agreements between both parties, which they can later listen to during painful and emotionally tolling procedures. Participants then tested the prototype in a series of workshops where their feedback was collected and integrated into a second and final prototype. Our results show that (1) pediatric oncology patients and the nurses that care for them are open to and enthusiastic about using a tool to work together and empathize with one another, (2) an EBCD method is helpful to understand abstract emotional conditions, and (3) tools designed through participatory co-creation are better suited to address the unique user needs of pediatric patients.