What kind of social support do cancer patients get from nurses?

Health care workers have been identified as sources of social support for cancer patients. However, little is known about the type of support patients receive from nurses. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if patients perceived differences in how often they received different types of support from nurses. The dimensions of support assessed were based on House's conceptualization of social support as made up of four components: emotional, informational, instrumental, and appraisal. A secondary purpose was to determine how satisfied the patients were with the nursing care they received while hospitalized. Sixty-six patients completed a questionnaire containing a 23-item self-report scale that measured how often they received specific types of support from nurses. The questionnaire also contained a seven-item self-report scale that measured how satisfied they were with the nursing care they received. Patients reported receiving significantly more instrumental and less appraisal support than other types of support (p < 0.008). Satisfaction with nursing care was significantly related to the amount of support they perceived receiving (p < 0.01). Implications for the importance of affirming the personal worth of cancer patient's as a part of routine nursing care are discussed and intervention strategies suggested.