As health care providers, advocates, and as a society, we are becoming more aware of the unique needs and differences that adolescent and young adult cancer patients have compared to their pediatric and adult counterparts. Some of these differences include psychosocial needs, treatments, care delivery, support services, and difficult conversations regarding fertility and sexuality just to name a few.

In effort to help support AYA’s through their unique experience, many institutions are creating AYA spaces. An AYA space is an area within an outpatient or inpatient cancer program where adolescents and young adults can claim their mark, call their own and be in company with other AYA’s who are traveling down similar paths. Many AYA spaces have computer/TV access, gaming devices, art therapy, kitchenettes, and an area that they can lounge and just be. The décor, art work, and paint colors are all picked with AYA’s in mind. AYA spaces vary between institutions. Many times that variability is due to individual input that AYA’s provide as they come up with ideas of what they want and need to make their cancer journey more tolerable.

It is important for AYA’s to have a place of their own, separate from pediatric playrooms, which many times are appropriately adorned with teddy bears, butterflies, and action figures. AYA’s need a place that is equipped to entertain, educate, and empower them at their particular stage in life. A place where they can socialize, sit in peace, work on school work, or fill vocational needs. In our institution, we have had patients report that they experienced fewer side effects of chemotherapy while in their dedicated AYA space instead of sitting in their infusion chair. We witnessed laughter, tears, and conversations between AYA’s and their families/friends in this safe space. An AYA space is more than a few walls or hip paint colors. An AYA space can allow the patient to physically, emotionally, and mentally have a “space” of their own.

Kaitlin N. Bomar RN, BSN
Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology/Hematology
St. Francis Cancer Center
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System — withKaitlin Nagle Bomar.