Return-to-work experiences of people with cancer

Maintaining employment after a cancer diagnosis and even during therapy is becoming a major challenge for an increasing number of individuals. The purpose of this study was to further understanding of the experience of returning to work after a cancer diagnosis by discovering the nature and processes of the experience's dimensions. This exploratory, longitudinal study systematically analyzed the dimensions of the return-to-work experience that were evident in data from 19 unstructured interviews. Grounded theory methods of study design and constant comparative analysis guided the interviews and data analysis. The core social process suggested by the data is one of mobilizing social support in the work environment. The inceptive theory explains and delineates steps in a process that ultimately facilitates a person's reintegration of normal activities after a cancer diagnosis. The added understanding available in these results can guide nurses to focus not only on related dimensions of the return-to-work experience, such as time off for treatment, but on central concerns, such as the social benefits of returning to work.