European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society
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The purpose of this study was to uncover the lived experience of Lebanese oncology patients receiving palliative care. The study design was based on the Utrecht School of Phenomenology based on the Dutch school of phenomenology. This study followed purposeful sampling in which ten participants, six women, and four men, with a mean age of 54.4 years were selected. ⋯ Data were analyzed using the hermeneutic phenomenological approach based on the Utrecht School of Phenomenology. The participants highlighted their distress from being dependent; their dislike for pity; their worry for the family and the worry about the family's worry; their reliance on God and divinity; their dislike of the hospital stay; their need to be productive; their fear of pain; and their need to communicate. Specific nursing actions related to the themes would include exploring patients' ideas, beliefs, and experiences regarding pain, and improved communication among patient, family, and the health care providers.
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It is widely documented that nurses experience work-related stress [Quine, L., 1998. Effects of stress in an NHS trust: a study. Nursing Standard 13 (3), 36-41; Charnley, E., 1999. ⋯ Vicarious traumatisation: do we adequately support traumatised staff? The Journal of Cognitive Rehabilitation 24-25] suggests that vicarious traumatisation is a broad term used for workers from any profession, it has not yet been empirically determined if oncology nurses experience vicarious traumatisation. This purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of vicarious traumatisation and argue that it should be explored in oncology nursing. The review will highlight that empirical research in vicarious traumatisation is largely limited to the mental health professions, with a strong recommendation for the need to empirically determine whether this concept exists in oncology nursing.
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In 2004, 350 teenagers and young adults (TYAs) attended the third Find Your Sense of Tumour Conference for cancer patients. This provided a unique opportunity to survey a large group of patients regarding their cancer experience. ⋯ There are currently 7 Teenage and Young Adult Units developed by Teenage Cancer Trust within the UK; however, a large number of patients do not have access to these specialist services. Despite the increased attention to TYA health needs there are still a number of issues relating to cancer services that need addressing as a matter of urgency in order to ensure that future patients receive a timely diagnosis, together with appropriate care that meets the specific needs of this unique client group.
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The purpose of this study was to obtain information about the knowledge and attitudes of Italian oncology nurses concerning cancer pain management and to determine the predictors of nurses' pain management knowledge. The study was a nationwide descriptive survey and included 287 nurses in Italy from 21 oncology wards in the north, center and south of Italy. The Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey (Italian version) and a background information form were used to collect the data. ⋯ Results from stepwise regression showed that nurses with higher mean correct answer scores had attended more courses about pain education. There are still significant knowledge deficits and erroneous beliefs that may hamper treatment of oncology patients in pain. The results of this study could be useful to institutions involved in patient care and teaching of pain management.