Using the International Society of Paediatric Oncology Minimum Standards of Paediatric Oncology Nursing Care Recommendations for Low- and Middle-income Countries to Identify Priorities in Myanmar - EAP 2017 Congress and MasterCourse, October 12-15, 2017, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Aims: In 2016 the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) published recommendations for the minimum standards of paediatric oncology nursing care in low- and middle-income countries. Here we review how these guidelines may be used to identify local successes and priorities at a paediatric oncology department in Myanmar.

Methods: In August 2016 a visiting international team together with local paediatric oncologists and nurses performed a review of a local paediatric oncology department in Myanmar. The new SIOP minimum standards of paediatric oncology nursing care recommendations for low- and middle-income countries were used to guide the review.

Results: The table below summarises the six core minimum standards and how they relate to local successes and challenges at Mandalay Children’s Hospital.

Core standard	Successes	Challenges
1 Nurse staffing ratios	One permanent senior ward nurse	Nurse to patient ratio 8:1 (day-time), 20:1 (night-time). Nurses rotate every 6 months
2,3 Induction and continued nurse training	Medical and nursing faculty very keen to teach colleagues Paediatric oncology nursing workshop August 2016	No formal induction or training programme
4 Nurses as part of multi-disciplinary team	Combined nursing and medical ward round Nurses actively involved in patient support and education	Involvement of nurses at mortality and morbidity meetings Need to develop multidisciplinary team meetings
5 Medical equipment	Hand-washing facilities available Intravenous pumps / syringe drivers available Personal protective equipment available for nurses preparing chemotherapy	No cytotoxic pharmacy facility Nurses prepare chemotherapy
6 Research	Local research with paediatric Masters students Graded-intensity approach to the adaptation of international treatment protocols Job aides – patient records, vital signs charts and drug charts	Need to develop standard operating procedures Need to develop strategies to reduce high abandonment of treatment

Conclusion: The 2016 SIOP minimum standards of paediatric oncology nursing care recommendations for low- and middle-income countries is a useful tool to identify local needs and guide service development.