Issues affecting nursing's support for children with cancer.

During the past 17 years, pediatric oncology nursing has evolved from an unknown specialty into an organization exemplary of advanced nursing practice. Pediatric oncology nursing is now recognized as a distinct subspecialty within pediatric nursing. The Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses (APON), organized in 1976, has grown from an initial 10 members to 1200 members in 1990. The growth of pediatric oncology nursing as a specialty is due largely to a group of nurses responsible for the organization of APON. These individual's vision in the early 1970s shaped the future of pediatric oncology nursing by promoting the development of nursing standards that increased nursing's accountability for the care of children with cancer. Today, nurses play a major role in the complex management of childhood cancer. Issues facing the nursing profession during the next decade will have a direct impact on the specialty of pediatric oncology nursing. The nursing shortage, nursing's changing image, and emerging nursing roles will influence pediatric oncology nursing's ability to care for children with cancer and their families in the future. As pediatric oncology continues to advance, innovative nursing roles must evolve to meet the health care needs of children with cancer.