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Nurses in cancer care--coping strategies when encountering existential issues
Marieanne Ekedahl1, Yvonne Wengström
1Stockholm School of Theology, Akeshovsvägen 29, 168 39 Bromma, Sweden.
Summary
Cancer care nurses utilize various coping strategies to manage work-related stress. Key methods include boundary setting and emotional outlets, though these can become dysfunctional without adequate support.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Psychology
- Oncology
Background:
- Healthcare professionals, particularly nurses in cancer care, face significant work-related stress.
- Understanding coping mechanisms is crucial for supporting nurse well-being and patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze general/secular and caritas-oriented coping strategies used by nurses in cancer care.
- To explore the functional and dysfunctional aspects of these coping strategies in response to work-related stress.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative, hypothesis-generating study.
- Analysis of 15 in-depth interviews with Swedish registered nurses using a life-story approach.
- Application of Pargament's coping theory for interpretive framework.
Main Results:
- Nurses employ diverse coping strategies, with boundary demarcation being the most prevalent.
- Other identified strategies include emotional outlets, caritas-oblivion, and periodically changing activities.
- Coping strategies can be utilized functionally or dysfunctionally, with lack of support exacerbating dysfunctional use.
Conclusions:
- Nurses in cancer care utilize a range of coping strategies to manage stress.
- Boundary demarcation is a dominant strategy, but its effectiveness is contingent on social support.
- Recognizing and supporting functional coping mechanisms is vital for preventing dysfunctional stress responses in oncology nurses.