Effectiveness of a brief psycho-oncology training program for general nurses: a preliminary study

Area of Science:

• Oncology Nursing
• Psycho-oncology
• Healthcare Professional Education

Background:

• Nurses often lack confidence in managing psychological distress experienced by cancer patients.
• Effective interventions are needed to support nurses in this critical aspect of cancer care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the preliminary usefulness of a brief psycho-oncology training program for general nurses.
• To assess the impact of the training on nurses' confidence, knowledge, and attitudes regarding psychological distress in cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• A 4-hour training program combining e-learning and an onsite workshop was delivered to 72 nurses across 17 cancer hospitals.
• The program included lectures on assessing and managing psychological responses to cancer, role-playing, and group work.
• Pre- and post-training assessments measured changes in self-reported confidence, knowledge, and attitudes.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in nurses' confidence and knowledge following the training (P < 0.05).
• Most aspects of nurses' attitudes towards caring for patients with psychological distress also improved.
• The training program demonstrated high acceptability, with no dropouts and positive participant feedback on clinical utility.

Conclusions:

• The brief psycho-oncology training program is a promising intervention for enhancing nurses' capacity to manage psychological distress in cancer patients.
• Further research is warranted to confirm the effectiveness of this training in improving actual patient outcomes.
• This training represents a valuable step towards better psychosocial support for individuals affected by cancer.