Sheila Santacroce, PhD, RN, CPNP, FAAN

I am a highly experienced pediatric nurse and certified pediatric nurse practitioner. While a substantial amount of my nursing career has been in pediatric oncology, over a decade of clinical and research experience with pediatric AIDS (1985-2000) opened my eyes to problems common across pediatric serious illness populations, no matter the medical diagnosis, and synergistic effects of health problems nested within social problems on treatment outcomes.

Since 2014, I have directed a NINR-funded institutional NRSA that educates nurse scientists in training to use intervention mapping and community-engaged research strategies to develop interventions to prevent and manage chronic illness in populations vulnerable to disparities in illness burden and outcomes due to social drivers of health.

My currently funded projects aim to improve access to guideline concordant survivorship care through a nurse-delivered e-health intervention that targets new pediatric cancer survivors (2-4 years post-treatment completion) and their community-based primary care providers, and advance understanding of financial distress, financial coping behaviors, and household material hardships during treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia to inform future multi-level interventions that embed equity in pediatric healthcare by better supporting families experiencing inequities in social drivers of health to optimize children’s access to pediatric clinical trials and treatment outcomes.

Unfunded projects include examination of barriers and facilitators of enrollment in pediatric clinical trials when parents use languages other than English to inform a multi-level action plan to improve clinical trial inclusiveness and thus generalizability of results.

Past five years:

Beauchemin, M., Ortega, M. Santacroce, S., Robles, J., Ruiz, J., Hall, A., …. Velez, M. (in press). Challenges to trial recruitment of patients or surrogate decision makers who use languages other than English: A Children’s Oncology Group Report. JNCI Cancer Spectrum. 2024 Jun 14. Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1093/jncics/pkae047

Beauchemin, M., Ji, L., Williams, A., Nightingale, C., Dressler, E. Santacroce, S., Salsman, J., Freyer, D., Roth, M., & Parsons, S. on behalf of the Landscape Assessment Committee (2024). Defining practice capacity for cancer care delivery to adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in the community setting: 2022 Landscape Assessment results. Journal of Adolescent & Young Adult Oncology. 2024 Feb 23. Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1089/jayao.2023.0177.

Kamkhoad, D., Baggott, C., Bryant, A., Patoomwan, A., Thoyre, S., D., & Santacroce, S. (2023). Clinician perspectives on impaired nutritional status in children undergoing cancer chemotherapy in Thailand. Asian Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjon.2023.100348

Killela, M., Keim-Malpass, J., Soto, S., Schwartz, T., Williams, J., & Santacroce, S. (2023). Medical crowdfunding to offset personal costs of chronic illness a systematic scoping review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e44530. https://doi.org/10.2196/44530

Parsons, S., Beauchemin, M., Dupuis, L., Sugalski, A., Wolfson, J., Santacroce, S., Marchak, J., Sung, L., & Roth, M. on behalf of the COG Cancer Care Delivery Research Committee. (2023). Children’s Oncology Group 2023 blueprint for research: cancer care delivery research. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, e305579. https://doi.org/10/1002/pbc.30579

Kamkhoad, D., Santacroce, S.J., Phonyiam, R., & Wang, M. (2023). Symptom clusters with gastrointestinal symptoms among children diagnosed with cancer: A scoping review. Oncology Nursing Forum, 50, 381-395. https://doi.org/10.1188/23.ONF.381-395

Bjorklund, A.-C., Darcy, L., Santacroce, S.J., Granlund, M., & Bjork, M. (2022). Individual patterns of problems with participation, activity, body function, and environment in everyday life for children who completed brain tumor treatment. Disability & Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2022.2140845

Ghazal, L., Merriman, J., Santacroce, S.J, Fletcher, J., Wright, F., & Dickson, V. (2022). Profiles of work and quality of life among young adult cancer survivors. Western Journal of Nursing Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459221120742

Beauchemin, M., Santacroce, S. J., Bona, K., … Parsons, S. (2022). Financial distress during treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the United States: A study protocol. BMC Health Services, 22, 832. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08201-0.

Ghazal, L. Watson, S., & Santacroce, S.J. (2022). “Both a lifesaver and totally shameful”: Young adult cancer survivors’ perceptions of medical crowdfunding. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. https:/doi.org/10.1007/s11764-022-0188-x.

Hansson, H., Bjork, M., Santacroce, S.J., & Raunkiaer, M. (2022). End-of-life palliative home care for children with cancer. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.13066

Kamkhoad, D., Cho, Youngmin, & Santacroce, S.J. (2022). Non-pharmacological approaches for managing nausea and vomiting in children with cancer during chemotherapy: A systematic scoping review. Nursing Research, 71, 227-240.

https:/doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000579.

Ghazal, L., Merriman, J., Santacroce, S.J, Fletcher, J., Wright, F., & Dickson, V. (2021). Exploration of relationships between symptoms, work characteristics and quality of life in young adult hematologic cancer survivors. Journal of Adolescent & Young Adult Oncology. [E-pub 8 Dec 2021] https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2021.0135

Ghazal, L., Santacroce, S.J., Merriman, J., & Dickson, V.V. (2021). “Now everybody is thinking about things like that.” Young adult cancer survivors re-imagining work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing Research Special Issue: Innovations and Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic. https:doi.org//10.1097/NNR.0000000000000567

Bjorklund, A.-C., Granlund, M., Santacroce, S.J., Enskar, K. & Bjork, M. (2021). Using ICF-CY to describe problems with functioning in everyday life for children who completed treatment for brain tumor – a document analysis of professionals’ notes in healthcare, habilitation and school records. Frontiers in Rehabilitation. 2, e708265. https:doi.org//10.3389/fresc.2021.708265

Ghazhal, L., Gormley, M., Merriman, J., & Santacroce, S.J. (2021). Financial toxicity in adolescents and young adults with cancer: A concept analysis. Cancer Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0000000000000972

Ghazal, L., Merriman, J., Santacroce, S.J., & Dickson, V.V. (2021). Survivor’s dilemma: Young adult cancer survivors’ perspectives’ on work-related goals. Workplace Health & Safety. https://doi.org/10.1177/21650799211012675.

Santacroce, S.J., Killela, M., Khamkoad, D., Leckey, J. & Hubbard, G. (2021). He knew more than we wanted him to know: Parents’ perceptions of their child’s awareness of financial distress due to the child’s cancer. Pediatric Blood & Cancer. https://doi.10.1002/pbs/29080. PMCID: PMC10440629

Santacroce, S. J., & Kneipp, S. M. (2021). Applying community-engaged intervention mapping in preparing nurse scientists. Nursing Research. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000500

55. Tan, K.R., Santacroce, S.J., Fredrickson, B.L., Wood, W.A., Mayer, D.K., Santos, H., Mucha, P.J., & Schwartz, T. (2021). Positive psychological states and stress responses in caregivers of adults receiving an allogeneic bone marrow transplant: A study protocol. Journal of Advances in Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14742

Guan, T., Guo, P., Santacroce, S.J., Chen, D.-G., & Song, L. (2020). Illness uncertainty and its antecedents for patients with prostate cancer and their partners. Oncology Nursing Forum, 47, 6. doi: 10.1188/20.onf

Santacroce, S. J., Killela, M. K., Kerr, G., Leckey, J., & Kneipp, S. M. (2020). Fathers’ psychological responses to pediatric cancer-induced financial distress. Pediatric Blood & Cancer. [Epub Apr 11]. doi: 10.1002/pbc.28281. PMCID: 7188553

Thompson, H., Santacroce, S.J., Pickler, R., Allen, J., Armer, J, … Weiss, S. (2020). Use of Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to foster development of nurse scientists. Nursing Outlook. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2020.01.001

Guan, T., Santacroce, S. J., Chen, D.G., & Song, L. (2020). Illness uncertainty, coping, andquality of life in men with prostate cancer. Psycho-Oncology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pon.5372

Hirschey, R., Bryant, A. L., Macek, C., Battaglini, C., Santacroce, S., Courneya, K. S., Walker, J. S., Avishai, A., and Sheeran, P. (2020). Psychosocial predictors of physical activity among cancer survivors: Meta-analysis and meta-analytic structural equation modeling of longitudinal studies. Health Psychology, 39, 269-280. doi:10.1037/hea0000845

Santacroce, S. J., & Kneipp, S. (2020). The influence of pediatric-cancer related financial burden on parent distress and stress-related risk factors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, e28093. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.28093

Hill, C., Knafl, K. A., Docherty, S., & Santacroce, S. J. (2019). Parent perceptions of the Paediatic Intensive Care Unit environment on delivery of family centered care. Intensive & Critical Care Nursing, 50, 88-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2018.07.007 PMCID: PMC159251

Ross, W., Mitchell, H.-R., Iyer, N., Santacroce, S. J., Kadan-Lottick, N. S. (2019). Impact of survivorship care on young adult survivors of childhood cancer with posttraumatic stress symptoms. Oncology Nursing Forum, 46, 33-43. doi: 10.1188/19.ONF.33-43

Santacroce, S. J., & Kneipp, S. M. (2019). A conceptual model of financial toxicity in pediatric oncology. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 36, 6-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043454218810137

R01CA261881
09/21/21-08/31/26
PI: Kadan-Lottick

Bridging Information Divides and Gaps to Ensure Survivorship: the BRIDGES Randomized Controlled Trial of a Multilevel Intervention to Improve Adherence to Childhood Cancer Survivorship. The major goal of this pragmatic randomized clinical trial is to investigate whether completion of guideline recommended surveillance by pediatric cancer survivors randomized to receive the nurse-delivered tele-health intervention, followed by survivorship care with a community-based primary care provider is not inferior to completion by those randomized to receive survivorship care per usual practice at the treating institution.

Role: Project Co-I; UNC Site Co-I.

ACCL20N1CD
10/01/20-07/31/25
MPI: Beauchemin/Santacroce

Financial toxicity during treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the US. The purpose of this longitudinal multi-methods study is to describe trajectories of financial distress in a diverse sample of parents of children recently diagnosed with ALL, contributing multi-level factors (social determinants of health, available resources at the treating institution) and parental compensatory cost-coping behaviors.

Role: Study Co-Chair/MPI. Supported by 5UG1CA189955, PI: B. Pollock, Children’s Oncology Group (COG) National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Base

T32NR007091
07/01/21-06/30/26
MPI: Santacroce/Kneipp

Interventions for Preventing and Managing Chronic Illness. The major goal of this project is to train a diverse group of pre- and post-doctoral nurse scientists in using community-based intervention mapping to develop and test theory- and evidence-based interventions to prevent and manage chronic illness in populations at risk for higher illness burden and poorer outcomes.

Role: MPI (contact)

• Symptoms/acute and long-term effects of the cancer experience for young (i.e., childhood, adolescent, young adult) cancer patients/survivors and their family members
• Relationships between risk/protective factors, cancer-related stress, stress responses and health outcomes, especially biomarkers of risk for cardiovascular disease in young cancer patients/survivors
• Interventions to improve life/health care transitions and outcomes for young cancer patients/survivors
• Cancer-related financial burden and its effects on clinical and psycho-social outcomes