Pediatric Oncology Nurses ’ Attitudes Related to Discussing Fertility Preservation With Pediatric Cancer Patients and Their Families

This study explores nurses ’ attitudes toward the dis-cussion of fertility preservation (FP) with pediatric cancer patients and their families. A cross-sectional survey was administered to attendees of a pediatric oncology conference. Of the 115 nurses who responded and comprised the study sample, most reported discussing risks of infertility or FP ≤ 50 % of the time. The 3 attitudinal factors most commonly rated by nurses to influence discussion of FP are the potential of upsetting patients ’ families, that boys younger than 18 years should not be given erotic mate-rials during semen collection, and difficulty locating FP facilities. The 3 patient factors most likely to encourage the discussion of FP are the patient being recently married or engaged, the patient asking abou