Chemotherapy Education and Support: A Model for Use in the Ambulatory Care Setting

Area of Science:

• Oncology Nursing
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Oncology nurses face challenges in providing comprehensive education, symptom management, and psychosocial support to patients undergoing chemotherapy for pancreatic and colorectal cancers.
• Effective patient education is crucial for managing treatment side effects and improving quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel nurse-led psychoeducational intervention.
• The intervention utilizes a multimedia tool to enhance patient learning and engagement.

Main Methods:

• The intervention was developed and tested using the Science and Practice Aligned Within Nursing model.
• A quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the intervention's effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Forty-five participants, including those with pancreatic (n=29) and colorectal (n=16) cancer, completed the study.
• A statistically significant increase in patient knowledge was observed in the pancreatic cancer group post-intervention (p = 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The nurse-led, multimedia psychoeducational intervention shows promise in improving patient knowledge for pancreatic cancer patients.
• Further research is warranted to explore the intervention's impact on symptom management and psychosocial support in both cancer types.