Professional quality of life (ProQOL) reflects how individuals feel about their work as helpers. Psychiatric ward nurses cope with significant psychological and physical challenges, including exposure to verbal and physical violence. This study was based on two aspects of ProQOL, the positive compassion satisfaction, and the negative compassion fatigue, with the aim of investigating the relation of ProQOL to job stress and violence exposure at a large mental health center. Data were collected from 114 mental health nurses (49/63 M/F) who completed a self-administered questionnaire examining violence exposure, ProQOL, and job stress. The results showed that during the last year, almost all nurses (88.6%) experienced verbal violence, and more than half (56.1%) experienced physical violence. Only 2.6% experienced no violence. ProQOL was not associated with violence exposure but was reduced by work stress and by previous exposure to violence; nurses who perceived their work as more stressful had lower satisfaction from their work. In conclusion, although most mental health nurses are exposed to physical and verbal violence, their ProQOL is more related to job stress than to workplace violence (WPV). Hospital managements should conduct work stress reduction intervention programs and promote strategizes to reduce WPV. Further exploration of (a) factors affecting ProQOL and (b) the effect of violence coping workshops on ProQOL is warranted.

Approximately 50% to 60% of children with cancer require radiation therapy. Radiation is one modality of treatment for pediatric malignancies and is used as complementary, palliative, emergency, or sole treatment. The goal of this program was to provide the child and family with coping strategies and minimize the necessity for anesthesia during radiation treatment. Since the beginning of the project, 55 children have participated in the preparation program. The developers of the program have found it worthwhile for the program to be flexible and matched to each child's and family's specific needs and capabilities. It has been found that the radiation therapy preparation program minimizes anxiety and increases satisfaction with care among the child, family, and staff involved.

The diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of immune trombocytopenic purpura (ITP) have been extensively studied, but data on its effect on health-related quality of life in children remain sparse. To shed more light on this issue, we administered the Kids' ITP Tools (KIT) questionnaire to 17 children with ITP attending a tertiary pediatric medical center and their parents (n=34). The mean KIT score was significantly lower in the parents' group than in the children's group (P=0.000). The main domains of concern for the parents were disease side effects and their child's future; the children were mostly concerned about the need to restrict physical activities. The presence of acute versus chronic disease had no impact on the KIT score in either group. These findings stress the need to develop different interventional programs for children with ITP and their parents to provide appropriate support to each.

Training programs for nurses need to be developed to help nurses be sensitive to maternal loss and grief and to incorporate the bereaved mother's relationship with her deceased child into interventions.