Amer Arida completed the St. Jude 15-month International EBP Nursing Fellowship program and EBP project utilizing the expertise of St. Jude Global Nursing and the nursing team at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The program strengthened his evidence-based practice competencies as a pediatric oncology nurse from a low- and middle-income country, developing him as a change agent who has positively impacted patient care and the work environment.

Amer explored the benefit of early ambulation and chest physiotherapy in reducing the postoperative pulmonary complications and length of stay (LOS) in pediatric oncology patients undergoing thoracic and abdominal surgery in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a referral oncology center in Jordan. Respiratory complications decreased from 20% to 3.3%, the average PICU LOS decreased from 3.8 to 2.3 days, and oxygen support decreased from 53% to 27%. Amer created a sustainability plan, including monitoring of continued adherence to specialized protocols and patient outcomes. Early ambulation and chest physiotherapy were vital strategies in reducing respiratory complications and LOS in patients post-thoracic or abdominal surgery. Continued adherence to specialized protocols and outcomes monitoring are crucial for sustaining long-term success in pediatric oncology postoperative care.