Evaluation of a Symposium for Educators of Children with Cancer

Abstract

Because of successes in treatment, increasing numbers of children who have cancer are attending school. Thus, attention is now being directed toward factors that enhance or detract from the quality of the school experience of those children. This article reports on an evaluation of an annual symposium conducted for educators of children who have the disease. The results showed that the program significantly improved educators' confidence in dealing with pediatric cancer patients as well as their knowledge about the disease and its treatment. The authors suggest that a one-day symposium can be effective in bridging the gap between treatment center and school.