Cancer nursing--a problem-finding survey. The London Nursing Research Consortium

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Oncology
• Patient Care

Background:

• Identifying challenges faced by nurses caring for cancer patients is crucial for improving care quality.
• Previous research has explored nursing challenges, but ongoing updates are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the most difficult patient-care problems encountered by nurses caring for cancer patients.
• To identify the most difficult problems personally experienced by nurses due to caring for cancer patients.
• To compare current findings with previous surveys to identify research gaps and consensus in cancer nursing.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 566 nurses across various healthcare settings (community agencies, cancer centers, hospitals).
• Nurses reported on difficult patient-care problems, physical care problems, and personally experienced problems.
• Qualitative analysis of 1,052 comments provided additional insights.

Main Results:

• The top patient care problems included coping with diagnosis, disease progression, and emotional responses.
• Nutrition and pain management were identified as significant physical care challenges.
• Nurses' personal difficulties largely corresponded with the patient care problems identified.

Conclusions:

• There is a strong consensus on critical areas for cancer nursing research, aligning with previous studies.
• Findings will guide the development of a research program based on the Stress-Coping model.
• Addressing these identified challenges is essential for supporting nurses and improving cancer patient outcomes.