Nurses' Problems in Promoting Quality of Life of Children Suffering from Thalassemia

Background and Objectives: Thalassemia is a chronic disease that affects the quality of life. Health care providers, especially nurses, have an effective role in enhancing the quality of life. This study aimed to investigate challenges nurses encounter in promoting the quality of life in children suffering from Thalassemia. Material and Methods: The descriptive study recruited nurses from four Thalassemia wards in Guilan using purposeful sampling method in 2007. Data were gathered using a questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was approved through content validity. The reliability of the questionnaire was measured using the Cronbach alpha ( =80%). Results: According to the results of the study, 11 major barriers were identified to promoting the quality of life in children suffering from Thalassemia. Nurses attributed the most important barriers to the individual–motivational problems. Conclusion: This study identified 11 major barriers. Prioritizing the barriers and meeting them should help the planners to provide solutions to the nurses' problems in promoting the quality of life of the children. The "empowering managers' program" is recommended as an effective program for promoting quality of life in children suffering from Thalassemia.