Nurses' role in informing breast cancer patients: a comparison between patients' and nurses' opinions

The present study was conducted to determine which nursing care activities in informing breast cancer patients are considered important by the patients themselves and their nurses. One hundred and nine breast-operated women and 125 nurses participated in the study. All patients had contracted breast cancer in the previous 3 years but not within the previous 3 months. Ward and clinical nurses from one university and six area hospitals were contacted. The patients considered that the information that they had received and their level of knowledge of their own situation was not conducive to good recovery. The nurses' opinions were in agreement, although their overall assessment of the situation was more positive.