Empathy as a tool of nursing care in pediatric oncology services

Introduction: The adverse effects associated with cancer generate a series of biopsychosocial changes which alter the life of the child and his family. The nurse has a series of skills, among which empathy stands out, which allow her to guarantee a care adapted to the needs of the child and his family. Objectives: To show the benefits of the use of empathy by nurses in the care of oncological children, to assess the usefulness of empathy in dealing with families and to identify the barriers that nurses encounter when applying empathy. Methodology: A bibliographic search was conducted in the databases Pubmed, LILACS, ScienceDirect, Scielo and MedlineProquest. Results/Discussion: The studies reviewed showed that the use of empathy by pediatric oncology nurses had significant benefits in the care of the child and family. A number of barriers to its application were also identified, including confusion between empathizing and sympathizing, lack of emotional self-regulatory skills, and lack of experience. Conclusion: The use of empathy gives paediatric oncology nurses the ability to establish relationships based on understanding and trust, allowing for more humanized care.