Regard soignant sur les essais cliniques en oncologie pédiatrique

In pediatric oncology units, interventional and noninterventional biomedical research studies are increasingly present and clinical trials can become a therapeutic strategy. As nurses and nonmedical caregivers, we are gradually becoming involved in tasks such as collecting patients' biological samples, administrating new drugs in clinical trials and monitoring and assessing the effects of those drugs on patients. In addition to questioning our theoretical knowledge, these practices raise personal questions that resonate with philosophical and ethical considerations. One of the issues when referring to caregivers' knowledge in clinical research is that the information that we would provide to patients and their families is appropriate and scientifically based. Another important challenge for us as nurses and nonmedical caregivers is how to be involved as quite care team's members and fully participate in the dynamic process of seeking coherent answers to questions raised in clinical trials.