Pediatric Nurses on the Frontlines: Supporting Kids with Cancer

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and while research and treatments are critical, so are the people who stand beside kids and families every single day: pediatric nurses.

The Heart of Childhood Cancer Care

Behind every brave little fighter facing childhood cancer, a pediatric nurse is making sure they never face it alone. These are the heroes who sit bedside through midnight fevers, help parents process overwhelming diagnoses, and somehow find ways to make hospital rooms feel less like hospital rooms.

And this September, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re shining a spotlight on their impact. Because supporting kids with cancer isn’t just about medicine; it’s about compassion, creativity, and courage.

What Pediatric Nurses Really Do

For kids facing a cancer diagnosis, treatments can be intense. There is chemo, radiation, surgeries, and endless tests. Pediatric nurses are at the center of it all, handling everything from:

• Administering treatments and medications
  
  
• Monitoring side effects and adjusting care in real time
  
  
• Acting as the bridge between doctors, families, and specialists
  
  
• Answering questions no one ever imagined needing to ask
  

But it’s not just the clinical side that makes them extraordinary. Pediatric nurses are advocates, comforters, and constant sources of hope and support. They’re the ones holding a child’s hand during blood draws, distracting them with happy thoughts, and doing all they can to make scary procedures a little less scary.

Beyond Medicine: Creating Comfort for Kids

Kids battling cancer need more than treatments. They need laughter, play, and little reminders that they’re still kids. Pediatric nurses are masters of creating these moments of comfort:

• Offering popsicles after chemo to soothe queasy stomachs
  
  
• Bringing juice boxes during long appointments
  
  
• Handing out stickers, toys, and stuffed animals to make hospital days brighter
  
  
• Knowing exactly when to pull out a toy, book, or game controller for the perfect distraction therapy

That creativity and heart inspired our new pediatric nurse collab with Scrubhacks. Every playful icon in the collage design, from the popsicle to the juice box, was chosen to honor the little acts of care that mean so much to kids and their families. Designed by ER Nurse Hillary of Her Crescent & Co., the artwork comes straight from someone who’s been in the trenches and knows precisely what these tiny comforts mean.

Why Awareness Matters

Here’s the hard truth: 1 in 285 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20. While treatments have improved, funding for pediatric cancer research still lags far behind that for adult cancers.

Awareness months like September exist because visibility drives impact:

• More funding = better treatments and improved survival rates
  
  
• More conversations = earlier detection and stronger community support
  
  
• More education = better training and resources for the healthcare teams who make recovery possible

By supporting awareness efforts, you’re helping pediatric nurses and care teams give kids their best chance in the hospital and beyond.

How You Can Show Your Support

There are so many ways to honor and amplify the work pediatric nurses do this month:

• Donate to research and advocacy organizations
  
  
• Volunteer with local hospitals or family support programs
  
  
• Share information and resources on social media
  
  
• Wear gold, the color of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, to spark conversations

And here’s one more way to make an impact: 5% of all net sales from the Scrubhacks x Ladyspinedoc pediatric nurse shirts during September go directly to the Glioblastoma Research Organization, helping fund critical research and support for families affected by brain cancer. Check out the fun blue and yellow tees as well as the cozy gray crews...and consider getting one (or some!) for yourself.

Honoring the Heroes Behind the Care

Pediatric nurses are more than caregivers. They’re storytellers, advocates, and safe spaces for families navigating the unimaginable. This September, we honor them, we raise awareness, and we keep pushing for better resources and outcomes for every child fighting cancer.

Because when it comes to supporting kids through their toughest battles, every act of compassion matters, whether it’s the warmth of grippy socks, the comfort of a beloved stuffed toy, the soothing sweetness of an apple juice box, or even a spark of joy from a conversation started by a shirt.