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Published on: May 31, 2016
A phenomenologic study of fatigue in adolescents receiving treatment for cancer
Faith Gibson1, Anne B Mulhall, Allison Richardson
1Children's Nursing Research Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, United Kingdom. gibsof@gosh.nhs.uk
Purpose/Objectives:
To generate a detailed description of how adolescents with cancer manage their daily lives and the way in which fatigue affects this.
Design:
Phenomenologic.
Setting:
A pediatric oncology unit at a regional cancer center in the United Kingdom.
Sample:
A convenience sample of adolescents (N = 8), aged 16-19 years and with hematologic or solid tumors, who currently were undergoing primary treatment.
Methods:
Semistructured interviews were conducted using 11 open-ended questions.
Main Research Variables:
Adolescents' perceptions of fatigue, well-being, and ability to maintain normal activities.
Findings:
Adolescents reported fatigue as overwhelming and embedded in a syndrome of symptoms and emotions associated with the illness itself and with treatment. Fatigue had a significant effect on physical, psychological, and social well-being, placing an extra burden on adolescents who were striving for normality.
Conclusions:
Equipped with a rich description of fatigue, clinicians will be better prepared to initiate strategies congruent with their own work settings and particular patients.
Implications For Nursing:
The findings should enable healthcare professionals to construct a more accurate and perceptive picture of the needs of particular individuals, highlighting those that may be amenable to intervention.
