European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society
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In this qualitative study, nurses from the United States of America (USA) and Switzerland were asked to recount their spiritual care experiences with cancer patients and their own responses to their patients' spiritual needs. Recent advances in cancer care have highlighted the importance of spirituality and spiritual care as part of quality palliative care from the time of a patient's diagnosis through end of life. Nurses who play an important role in supporting patients, describe their own discomfort when confronting their patients' spiritual needs. ⋯ Patients' spirituality was identified by nurses who tried to address patients' spiritual needs drawing on existing resources. For nurses, supporting patients in their spirituality and finding meaning in the disease situation eventually led to disease acceptance.
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Fever and associated neutropenia presentations are frequent occurrences for children with cancer. Prompt treatment is required to prevent adverse outcomes; however, delays are common. In Australia's vast landscape, presentations occur in both tertiary metropolitan sites and smaller regional sites. Management and experiences differ between sites. Our primary aim was to identify the barriers to optimal management of febrile neutropenia in children with cancer from patient/parent and clinician perspectives. ⋯ We identified multifactorial reasons for delays at different time points in care. Regional centres and families have unique needs which require considerations and tailored interventions. Ongoing education, monitoring compliance with initiation of practice changes and identifying and overcoming barriers as they arise are strategies for improving management of the febrile child with cancer.
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The simple diet self-assessment tool (SDSAT) is a simple instrument for estimating the cancer patients' dietary intake. This study aimed to evaluate its reliability and validity among head and neck (HNC) cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT). ⋯ The SDSAT demonstrated favorable reliability and validity. It is appropriate for estimation of dietary intake among HNC patients.
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Multiple symptoms can have a negative impact on quality of life (QoL), but there is little information about the impact of multiple symptoms on QoL of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) during outpatient chemotherapy. Therefore, the purpose was to assess the physical and mental QoL in CRC patients over six months of chemotherapy, to evaluate the association of QoL with the presence of multiple symptoms, and to determine which demographic and clinical characteristics are associated with physical and mental QoL scores. ⋯ Impaired QoL was associated with symptoms in CRC outpatients. This information about the symptoms and characteristics associated with worse QoL during chemotherapy may help clinicians identify and inform at-risk patients.
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Multicenter Study
Emotional impact and compassion fatigue in oncology nurses: Results of a multicentre study.
To assess the prevalence of Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue (Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress) and anxiety in oncology nurses and the association with demographics, training, work-related conditions, and psychological factors. ⋯ Continuous demands on oncology nurses' empathy can lead them to experience compassion fatigue, anxiety and a desire to leave the profession. The first study carried out with Spanish oncology nurses shows Compassion Fatigue is highly prevalent. This is related to nurses' desire to change units, leave their profession and has negative implications on staff satisfaction and quality of care. This problem justifies institutions support strategies for these professionals.