Description
JOPHON Courses offer continuing education created from JOPHON, APHON’s acclaimed journal. These courses feature original, peer-reviewed research aimed at enhancing clinical nursing care for children and adolescents with cancer and blood disorders, and their families. This is a self-paced, digital product.
New JOPHON course articles are offered quarterly following review and development by the JOPHON editorial team and are presented by the APHON ACE Center Committee. Each course includes ten (10) questions derived from the selected article’s content. Participants who complete both the associated quiz and evaluation will earn 1 NCPD credit, applicable to the designated ILNA categories.
Course Details
Title: Sep/Oct Impact of Animal-Assisted Interactions on Quality of Life in Children with Relapsed/Refractory Cancer and Their Parents: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study
Author(s): Anne Ingalls Gillespie, PhD, RN, Brittany A. Cowfer, MD, Mary S. Dietrich, PhD, MS, and Mary Jo Gilmer, PhD, MBA, FAAN
Citation: Gillespie, A. I., Cowfer, B. A., Dietrich, M. S., & Gilmer, M. J. (2025). Impact of animal-assisted interactions on quality of life in children with relapsed/refractory cancer and their parents: A randomized controlled pilot study. Research Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing, 42(5), 258-266. https://doi.org/10.1177/27527530251365234
Course Summary: This course explores the impact of animal-assisted interactions on the quality of life for children with relapsed or refractory cancer and their parents, drawing on findings from a randomized controlled pilot study. Participants will examine the study’s purpose, design, and methodology, focusing on how animal-assisted sessions—conducted weekly for about fifteen minutes—were integrated into pediatric oncology care. The course will interpret health-related quality of life outcomes, analyze challenges in measuring these outcomes, and discuss the differences between child self-reports and parental reports. Learners will also consider the limitations of current assessment tools, such as the inclusion of irrelevant items for this patient population, and review the main strengths of the research, including its targeted design. The course concludes by formulating implications for future studies and potential integration of animal-assisted therapy into pediatric oncology nursing practice, emphasizing the need for larger samples and refined measures to advance the field.
Learning Outcomes:
- Explain the purpose, design, and methodology of a pilot study evaluating animal-assisted interactions (AAI) in pediatric oncology.
- Interpret the findings on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes for children with cancer and their caregivers.
- Analyze challenges and limitations associated with measuring HRQoL in pediatric oncology populations.
- Formulate implications of AAI research for future studies and potential integration into pediatric oncology nursing practice
Individual Learning Needs Assessment (ILNA) Coding
The program content has been reviewed by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) and is acceptable for recertification points. You may claim 1 CNE in one of the following ILNA categories: Care Continuum, Psychosocial Dimensions of Care, OR Care of the Pediatric Hem/Onc Patient
Please reach out to the Education Team at education@aphon.org with your name, the email associated with your APHON account, and the above ILNA category you would like to have reflected on your certificate and APHON can update your completion certificate to reflect your choice.
Post-Purchase Information
After purchase, your course will be available in the ACE Center under “My Courses”.
Once you have completed both the quiz and evaluation, you can download a copy of your completion certificate from the course page. A copy will also be available in your Transcript under the “My APHON” drop-down menu in your account.
Association for Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 14513.
