[A difficult relationship with cancer: the emotions of oncologic nurses]

The present study represents an attempt to verify which emotions are present in nursing activities with cancer patients and how nurses deal with them. In order to reach this goal, a quantitative approach was used in order to allow a comprehension of the population studied and their work conditions. After that, field observations and structured and semiestructured interviews were carried out so as to understand how emotion was experienced and dealt with. Thematic analysis of the nurses discourse was conducted in order to identify the core of the emotional issues and to elaborate the Maps of Association of ideas. The main themes were: the disease, the patient, the team and the health instituition, the emotions that emerged and ways of coping. Data analysis allowed to identfy which emotions are present in every day situations of nursing care, the ways of coping that are used with difficult situation and the mediation of the institutional culture in the control of emotional expressions.