Exploring nurses' experiences of supporting a cancer patient in their search for meaning

This article presents the findings from an interpretive phenomenology study looking at nurses' experiences of supporting cancer patients in their search for meaning. Eleven nurses were interviewed from a Medical Oncology Unit and a Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in a central London teaching hospital. Having analysed the interviews, six major themes were identified: the value of experience, understanding the search for meaning, the value of time, the relationships involved, caring and the skills used by nurses, and the difficulties nurses' experienced and the support they needed to continue this role. Like many aspects of nursing care that are intangible in nature, this aspect of care was seen as important and valuable to the nurses in the clinical environments of cancer care. The findings do not represent a definitive approach to this aspect of care, but offer an insight into nurses' experiences. In order to continue this aspect of cancer care, the findings suggest that nurses need support.