Meeting the nursing challenges in treating children with 131I-MIBG

This article focuses on the role of advanced practice nurses as leaders on a health care team committed to providing a collaborative approach to a unique patient population. It describes the process of implementing a clinical trial for treatment of patients with neuroblastoma with the radioisotope 131I-MIBG. As new clinical trials emerge, staff nurses face challenges in providing care to complex patients and their families. Nurses are often required to acquire new knowledge, interact with other disciplines and departments, and develop new skills in order to provide care for these patients. Advanced practice nurses can provide a critical link between the principal investigator and staff members to meet these challenges. The process used to implement this trial can serve as a model for many other interdisciplinary projects.