Storytelling Through Music to Improve Well-being in Oncology Nurses: A Feasibility Study

Professional grief is one cause of psychosocial stress that, if not attended to, may contribute to burnout and compassion fatigue. Oncology nurses often avoid their emotions and learn to cope with professional grief in isolation. Interventions aimed at professional grief are limited.

To determine the feasibility of implementing a multidimensional intervention, Storytelling Through Music, with oncology nurses.

This was a 2-group, quasi-experimental design utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. The 6-week intervention combined storytelling, reflective writing, music, and psychoeducation. Descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis were used to analyze the feasibility data.

Most participants (n = 43) were female, white, working full-time in the outpatient oncology setting, with an average 8.5 years (range, 2-36 years) of oncology experience. Ninety-eight percent of the intervention was completed, and 98% of participants were retained. Analysis indicates that the intervention was acceptable, the participants learned they were not alone in their feelings, and they were supported by the group.

Results indicate that Storytelling Through Music is a feasible and acceptable intervention to address work-related emotions and psychosocial stress in this group of oncology nurses.

In 2017, the National Academy of Medicine stated clinician well-being must be a priority. Participation in this study was independently sought out by the oncology nurses and completed during their personal time. A future policy recommendation is to make participation in wellness interventions part of the mandatory competency training required by accrediting bodies so that institutions ensure the well-being of clinicians as a priority.