Experiences of Returning to Work Among Nurses With a Diagnosis of Cancer: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Nurses spend their careers focused on caring for others. However, they may face the challenges of a serious illness and return to their professional roles, and their unique insights and experiences have not been sufficiently reported in existing research.

The purpose of this study was to explore nurses' experiences of returning to work following a cancer diagnosis and treatments.

A qualitative descriptive method was used in this study.

This study involved participants from various hospitals across four provinces in China. A total of 25 qualified staff nurses diagnosed with cancer and currently working in hospitals were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Analysis was completed using qualitative content analysis.

Experiences of returning to work among nurses with a diagnosis of cancer can be grouped under three themes: (1) holistically adjusting to work, (2) controlling cancer-related disclosure, and (3) transformation in attitudes toward caregiving.

The experiences of nurses diagnosed with cancer who return to work, highlighting the need for timely physical and psychological support, workload adjustments, and job transition assistance.

The research findings highlight the importance of providing timely support for nurses diagnosed with cancer as they return to their positions. Additionally, we recommend integrating interventions to help nurses prepare the proper mindset, enabling them to comfortably share their personal cancer-related experiences with patients when they are willing to assist patients.