Patient safety culture predictors and outcomes for sustainable oncology nursing practice: A cross-sectional correlational study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To examine the predictors and outcomes of patient safety culture (PSC) among oncology nurses working in public Saudi hospitals according to participant characteristics and evaluate the relationship between PSC domains. BACKGROUND: PSC is crucial in healthcare systems, particularly in oncology and chemotherapy units, and its assessment can enhance the standard service provided and cancer care quality. There is currently limited research on the status, predictors and outcomes of PSC in cancer care settings in developing countries, including Saudi Arabia. DESIGN: A cross-sectional correlational study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 101 oncology nurses working in two large Saudi tertiary care hospitals participated in this study. The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture validated instrument and demographic and work surveys were completed by the participants. The study methods were compliant with the STROBE checklist. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The areas of PSC strength were related to organizational learning-constant improvement, feedback and communication about errors, and transitions and handoffs. Manager/supervisor actions and expectations, hospital management support, communication openness, experience in the current unit and oncology unit/area were the predictors of PSC. In terms of PSC outcomes, the oncology nurses reported either no or one to two adverse events and a substantially good patient safety rating. CONCLUSION: The level of PSC was lower than expected. Communication openness, experience in the current unit and oncology unit/area were the strongest predictors of PSC. Investing in oncology nursing practice that addresses these concerns and prioritizes patient safety is critical in Saudi cancer care settings to increase patient safety. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings contribute to a better understanding of the predictors and outcomes of PSC, which should be considered when establishing effective nursing interventions or strategies for PSC in cancer care settings. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Oncology nurses' experiences of providing emotional support for cancer patients: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: A high percentage of cancer patients may experience emotional distress. Oncology nurses are expected to play an important role in recognizing emotional distress and planning and delivering care that meets the individual needs of each patient. However, few studies have focused on the experiences of clinical nurses in such cases. This study adopted a qualitative research method to gain an in-depth understanding of the experience of nursing staff in caring for cancer patients with emotional distress. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design and semi-structured interviews were used in this study. Twenty-one oncology nurses were interviewed, and the qualitative content analysis suggested by Graneheim & Lundman (2004) was used to interpret the data. RESULTS: Six themes were identified, as follows: (1) dictating the abnormality of emotion, (2) soothing and comforting patients, (3) a lack of psychology knowledge and communication skills, (4) negative impacts of a lack of time, (5) managing emotional labor, and (6) reflecting on the experiences. CONCLUSION: Hospital administrators should arrange pre-employment education and training as well as on-the-job education to help nurses in caring for cancer patients with emotional distress. They should also focus attention on the personal emotional states of nursing staff in a timely manner and provide psychological support and emotional counseling as necessary.

Mindful self-care among oncology nurses in China: a latent profile analysis.

BACKGROUND: Oncology nurses are considered the group with the highest risk for moral distress, compassion fatigue and burnout. Mindful self-care may help oncology nurses improve their well-being and solve psychological problems. However, the investigation and in-depth analysis of mindful self-care among oncology nurses in China is lacking. OBJECTIVES: To identify heterogeneity groups of oncology nurses on mindful self-care ability and examine the sociodemographic correlation to these profiles. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study. PARTICIPANTS: The study was carried out among oncology nurses in two affiliated comprehensive hospitals and one affiliated oncology hospital. A total of 839 oncology nurses were enrolled in this survey. METHODS: From January to May 2023, a cross-sectional study was carried out among oncology nurses using convenient sampling. The subjects were given the brief Mindful Self-Care Scale (B-MSCS) and the General Demographic Information Questionnaire. Latent profile analysis using the Mplus 7.4 program was used to separate oncology nurses' mindful self-care into a variety of subgroups. The SPSS 25.0 statistical program was used to analyze the data. One-way ANOVA and the chi-square test were performed to compare the score of B-MSCS in each class and the difference in sociodemographic characteristics among the subgroups. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the influence of the sociodemographic variables on each class. RESULTS: The total score of the B-MSCS was 76.40 ± 13.19. The support structure dimension had the highest score, with an average mean value of 3.60, and physical care had the lowest score at 2.57. The findings of the latent profile analysis showed that respondents were divided into three classes, moderate mindful self-care(51.2%), low-low mindful relaxation(14.8%), and high-high mindfulness self-awareness(34.0%). Across scale scores and dimensions, three groups demonstrated statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed significant differences between the three profiles in terms of professional title, position, concern about self-care, interest in mindfulness, and experience with meditation (p < 0.05). Profile membership was predicted by 3 factors, namely, self-care status, interest in mindfulness, and experience with meditation. CONCLUSION: The mindful self-care among oncology nurses can be categorized into three latent profiles: moderate mindful self-care, low-low mindful relaxation, and high-high mindfulness self-awareness. Multinomial logistic regression results indicated that whether oncology nurses concern about self-care, interest in mindfulness and have experience with meditation influenced different latent profiles. Nursing manager should develop targeted intervention based on the typological characteristics of the oncology nurses to improve their mindful self-care ability and mental health.

Development and psychometric analysis of a Pediatric Oncology Nurses' Educational Needs Scale.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: It is important to determine the educational needs of pediatric oncology nurses in order to maximize and implement nursing care interventions. Therefore, this study aims to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to determine pediatric oncology nurses' educational needs and examine its psychometric properties. DESIGN/METHODS: This methodological study was conducted with 215 pediatric oncology nurses in Turkey between December 2021 and July 2022. Data were collected with the "Nurse Information Form" and "Pediatric Oncology Nurses' Educational Needs Scale." IBM SPSS 21.0 and IBM AMOS 25.0 software programs were used for data analysis, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze numeric variables. Exploration and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to determine the scale's factorial structure. RESULTS: The factorial analysis was used to test the structural validity of the scale. A five-factor structure consisting of 42 items was developed. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for "Illness" was .978, "Chemotherapy and Side Effect" was .978, "Another Therapy and Side Effect" was .974, "Palliative Care" was .967, "Supportive Care" was .985, and the total score was .990. Fit indices resulting from the study were χ2 /SD: 3.961, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA): 0.072, goodness-of-fit index (GFI): 0.95, comparative-of-fit index (CFI): 0.96, and normed fit index (NFI): 0.95. CONCLUSION: The Pediatric Oncology Nurses' Educational Needs Scale is a valid and reliable scale for pediatric oncology nurses to determine their educational needs.

Exploring the variations in death anxiety among oncology nurses in China: a latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: Various factors have been found to be associated with high levels of death anxiety experienced by oncology nurses. The aim of this study was to use a person-oriented approach to examine the death anxiety patterns of Chinese oncology nurses and to analyze the differences in anxiety characteristics and their associated influencing factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey regarding palliative care among registered oncology nurses was conducted in Jiangsu Province, China.Latent class analyses was applied to identify their patterns of death anxiety. The score of PCQN-C (The Chinese version of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing) and FATCOD-B-C (The Chinese version of the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying scale), the demographic and working characteristics were further analyzed through covariance analysis (ANCOVA) and multivariate (or logistic) regression across the subgroups. RESULTS: A two-potential-category model was selected based on the fit index. The results showed that 79% of oncology nurses belonged to the high pressure and pain group and 21% belonged to the low death anxiety group. The high pressure and pain group had significantly higher scores in the dimensions of emotion, stress and pain, time awareness, and cognition compared to the low death anxiety group. Factors influencing the high pressure and pain group included shorter working years, non-national or provincial oncology nursing specialists, non-national palliative care specialists, never discussing the topic of death with patients or family members, no palliative care related training, and PCQN and FATCOD scores. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that oncology nurses' death anxiety can be divided into two categories: low death anxiety and high stress pain, and certain factors, such as being female, having a short work experience, and lacking palliative care-related training, increase the likelihood of death anxiety.

Knowledge, Perception, and Skills, and Practices of Oncology Nurses in Cancer Survivorship Care: a Scoping Review.

Survivorship care focuses on the well-being and quality of life of people affected by cancer. Oncology nurses play an essential role in survivorship care and must be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to provide survivorship care. This scoping review explored the existing literature on nurses' knowledge, perception, skills, or practices in delivering cancer survivorship care for adult cancer survivors. A scoping review was conducted through databases including PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycInfo in February 2022, following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Fourteen original research studies were included. Most of the studies were conducted in the USA and targeted oncology registered nurses. The studies primarily focused on the knowledge (n = 2, 14.3%), perception of responsibility (n = 8, 57.1%), and practice (n = 9, 64.3%) regarding survivorship care among oncology nurses, reporting widely varied results. Nine studies reported perceived skills, practice, and perceived barriers as the most used outcome measurements, while two assessed nurses' cancer survivorship care knowledge. The main gaps were discrepancies between oncology nurses' perceptions of responsibility and practices in delivering survivorship care. Lack of time, knowledge, and skills were reported as significant factors impeding survivorship care provision among oncology nurses. Limited research shows a gap in integrating knowledge into survivorship care practices among oncology nurses. Further studies are needed to develop educational programs on survivorship care to support the integration of survivorship care into oncology nurses' practice.

A Survey of the Awareness and Educational Needs of Nurses in Nagasaki Prefecture Regarding Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and educational needs with regard to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer among nurses working in breast cancer care in the Nagasaki Prefecture. In breast cancer care, the identification of patients at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer is necessary for the implementation of genetic testing and counseling. Nurses should be involved in this process, since they play a crucial role in the care of patients with breast cancer. However, the knowledge regarding hereditary breast and ovarian cancer among nurses working in oncology care in Japan has not been assessed. The design of this study is cross-sectional design. We distributed 597 surveys to nurses working in breast cancer care. The surveys assessed the nurses' demographic data, their current knowledge and practices regarding cancer genetics and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, and their attitude and preferences regarding learning about the condition. We received 317 valid replies. Nurses had limited knowledge about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer characteristics: 41.6% reported that they do not know about the condition, whereas less than 10% knew its characteristics. However, nurses were aware of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer significance and were willing to learn about it: 91% wished to learn about the condition, and 88.6% wanted to participate in study group meetings. Further, nurses' preferences regarding educational programs were clarified. Overall, our results show that educational programs should be implemented to advance nurses' knowledge of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer characteristics.

Arabic version of the Palliative Care Self-Efficacy Scale: Translation, adaptation, and validation.

OBJECTIVES: A lack of confidence among oncology nurses might be problematic when providing palliative care. No valid and reliable tool is currently available in Saudi Arabia to assess oncology nurses' confidence in providing palliative care. This study aims to explain the process of translation, adaptation, and validation of the Palliative Care Self-Efficacy Scale (PCSS) to support its use in the Saudi context. METHODS: This was a methodological study of translation, cultural adaptation, and content validation of PCSS. The process of translation and adaptation was conducted according to the World Health Organization guidelines, including forward and backward translations, an expert panel review, and pretesting and cognitive interviewing, resulting in a final version. Two independent bilingual oncology nurses familiar with palliative care terminology translated the PCSS from English to Modern Standard Arabic. Next, the concise PCSS translation developed from the 2 translations was back-translated to English by 2 English-speaking translators and then compared to the original PCSS. The Arabic version PCSS was evaluated by Saudi professionals (N = 5) in oncology and palliative care nursing using a Likert scale for essentiality, relevance, clarity, and appropriateness. The content validity was examined using the calculation of the content validity ratio, item-level content validity index (I-CVI), and modified kappa statistics. The thinking aloud method was also used to interview Saudi oncology nurses (N = 8) who had palliative care experience. RESULTS: The relevance, clarity, and appropriateness of the first Arabic version PCSS were validated. It had a level of content validity index of 1.00 for all items after improvements were made based on the recommendations of experts and oncology nurses. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The PCSS demonstrated face and content validity in the assessment of oncology nurses' confidence in providing palliative care. The PCSS is suitable for use in palliative cancer care units in Saudi Arabia to identify the educational needs of nurses to promote their confidence and improve the quality of care. Additional reliable and valid language versions of the PCSS allow for international and national comparisons, which may be useful for oncology nursing administrators or managers who are accountable for the quality of palliative care during the strategic health-care planning process in cancer services.

Experience of oncology nurses with cancer survivors during transition from acute oncology treatment to primary care.

Background: Cancer care for Canadian cancer survivors remains fragmented. Little is known about the experience of Canadian oncology nurses providing cancer care for cancer survivors, as they transition from acute treatment to primary care. Objectives: This study aimed to (1) explore the experience of oncology nurses dealing with fragmented cancer care for cancer survivors in transition to survivorship; (2) identify oncology nurses' perspectives about what promotes or inhibits their delivery of quality cancer care; and (3) obtain their suggestions to improve cancer care. Design: This study used a phenomenological design to explore the experience of oncology nurses in caring for cancer survivors during transition to survivorship and examine how the nurse participants describe their experience. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used to develop themes from the data. Results: Three oncology nurses participated in this study. The following five themes emerged: (1) Under personal transition: nursing assessment, symptoms management, patient education, resources offered, refusing label of cancer survivors, promoting adjustment to a new normal life, promoting return to work, and recognizing meaning of survivorship; (2) Under cancer survivor's care transition: promoting self-care management, communication, and maximal recovery of body functions; (3) Under nurse's positive experience promoting delivery of quality cancer care: caring for cancer survivors, experience and knowledge, and advocate for cancer survivors; (4) Under barriers that negatively affected delivery of cancer care: low socioeconomic status (especially low income), cultures and languages barriers, and limited time providing nursing care; and (5) Suggestions to improve cancer care: establishing a new position - primary nurse, increasing the number of healthcare professionals, and improving knowledge, skills, and experience. Conclusion: Oncology nurses' knowledge and experience provide a good foundation for quality cancer care and contribute to the health and wellbeing of cancer survivors.

Death Anxiety and Associated Factors Among Oncology Nurses and Physicians.

Background: Providing care for dying patients is a stress-inducing, complicated, as well as essential responsibility for health care providers. Furthermore, end-of-life care is associated with intense personal emotions such as grief, anxiety, depression, frustration, and guilt. Moreover, caring for terminally ill patients is a challenging task that confronts physicians and nurses with the psychological concerns of dealing with death, which is accompanied by a high level of physical and psychological discomfort.Objective: This study was aimed to measure the level of death anxiety among oncology nurses and physicians and to determine the associated factors that influence their level of death anxiety.Method: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to guide this study, a non-probability convenience sampling method was used to recruit 200 oncology nurses and physicians from one specialized cancer center in Jordan. Data were collected using an electronic self-reported questionnaire include demographic data sheet and Collett-Lester fear of death scale, as well as all participants were invited via email for voluntary participation in this study.Result: The results revealed that the oncology nurses and physicians exhibited a moderate levels of death anxiety (CLDFODS = 91.07), furthermore, the result showed that female nurses and physicians exhibited a higher level of anxiety than male. Further, there were statistically significant differences in nurses' and physicians' level of death anxiety according to years of experience, receiving previous education on death and dying, and religious beliefs. On the other hand, there is no statistically significant differences in nurses' and physicians' level of death anxiety based on present or previous experience with loss of someone close to them.Conclusion: Jordanian oncology Nurses and physicians exhibited a moderate levels of death anxiety and fear of death, therefore, they have to address the inevitability of mortality since they are caring for dying patients frequently. They have to understand and acknowledge their thoughts regarding death and dying, as well as their death anxiety level before interacting with dying patients.

Impact of a web-based educational program on Japanese nurses tobacco cessation practice and attitudes in oncology settings.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a short web-based educational program on Japanese nurses' self-reported attitudes toward tobacco cessation and their use of interventions to help smokers to quit. DESIGN: Prospective, single-group design with a pre-educational survey, a short web-based educational program, and a follow-up survey at 3 months. METHODS: Clinical nurses were asked to view two prerecorded webcasts about helping smokers quit. They completed two online surveys, one at baseline and one at a 3-month follow-up. Generalized linear models were used to determine changes in nurses' self-reported routine practice after the study intervention. FINDINGS: A total of 1401 nurses responded to the baseline survey, 678 of whom completed the follow-up survey. Compared with baseline, nurses at follow-up were more likely to advise smokers to quit (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI: 1.15, 1.82]), assess patients' interest in quitting (OR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.01, 1.04]), and assist patients with smoking cessation (OR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.04, 1.72]). However, the proportion of nurses who consistently recommended resources for tobacco cessation did not significantly improve at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence that a web-based educational program can increase nurses' implementation of tobacco dependence interventions in cancer care practice. Sustaining these educational efforts could increase nurses' involvement in providing these interventions, encourage nurses to refer patients to cessation resources, and support nurses' attitudes towards their role in smoking cessation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our short web-based educational program can increase nurses' use of tobacco-dependence interventions in cancer care practice. This role can be enhanced with additional information about existing cessation resources that nurses could use to refer patients for support post-discharge. Japanese nurses, when properly educated, are willing and significant contributors to promote tobacco use cessation for cancer patients. The contribution can be facilitated through nursing care protocol that integrate tobacco use cessation interventions within evidence-based cancer care approaches.

Nurses' involvement in end-of-life discussions with incurable cancer patients and family caregivers: An integrative review.

AIM: To review current evidence of nurses' involvement in end-of-life discussions with incurable cancer patients and their family caregivers. DESIGN: We conducted a systematic integrative review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines: PROSPERO, registration number: CRD42020186204. DATA SOURCES: CINAHL, Medline, PsycInfo, Embase. We searched for primary research between 2010 and 2020. RESULTS: Of 3,271 references, we found 15 eligible articles: qualitative (n = 12) and quantitative (n = 3). The studies focused on oncology nurses' perspective of involvement in end-of-life discussions. The data analysis resulted in four overall themes: (1) Nursing roles; the advocating, supporting, and reframing roles, and an undefined task, for example in medical consultations, (2) Trust building, (3) Nurse competences, and (4) Medical issues. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The nurses have several roles in end-of-life discussions, but insufficient competencies to be involved in that kind of discussions, for example to involve and communicate with families. The findings implicate an educational need among the nurses. However, it also points toward an organizational change in the outpatient clinics, for example that end-of-life discussions follow a more structured approach, are offered in a scheduled manner, and that nurses invite the family caregivers to attend.

Achievements and pitfalls in improving Pediatric Oncology Nursing standards: A public-private partnership project.

Rationale: Approximately 8,000 new cases of pediatric cancer arise annually in Pakistan. However, there is a dire survival rate of 30-35% due to various factors, especially a lack of competent nurses in pediatric oncology care. Public-private partnerships (PPP) supported by a My Child Matters (MCM) Grant from Sanofi Espoir Foundation was granted to Indus Hospital & Health Network (IH&HN) to improve pediatric nursing standards. Methods: Starting in 2016, nurses from hospitals across Pakistan were enrolled in a continuing education program, which included a comprehensive, hands-on training component. A group chat was created following the training for communication and mentorship regarding challenges faced locally. Results: Seventy-seven pediatric oncology nurses were successfully trained by IH&HN over three years. Discussion: Challenges included lack of government funding, shortage of specialist nurses, frequent shifting of nurses away from pediatric care, and indifferent attitudes. Success of the project could have been maximized if trained nurses were motivated and retained by hospitals. Conclusion: Development and maintenance of PPP in national healthcare systems is essential to improve pediatric oncology nursing care.

The potential of training specialist oncology nurses in real-life reporting of adverse drug reactions.

Specialist oncology nurses (SONs) have the potential to play a major role in monitoring and reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs); and reduce the level of underreporting by current healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to investigate the long term clinical and educational effects of real-life pharmacovigilance education intervention for SONs on ADR reporting. This prospective cohort study, with a 2-year follow-up, was carried out in the three postgraduate schools in the Netherlands. In one of the schools, the prescribing qualification course was expanded to include a lecture on pharmacovigilance, an ADR reporting assignment, and group discussion of self-reported ADRs (intervention). The clinical value of the intervention was assessed by analyzing the quantity and quality of ADR-reports sent to the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center Lareb, up to 2 years after the course and by evaluating the competences regarding pharmacovigilance of SONs annually. Eighty-eight SONs (78% of all SONs with a prescribing qualification in the Netherlands) were included. During the study, 82 ADRs were reported by the intervention group and 0 by the control group. This made the intervention group 105 times more likely to report an ADR after the course than an average nurse in the Netherlands. This is the first study to show a significant and relevant increase in the number of well-documented ADR reports after a single educational intervention. The real-life pharmacovigilance educational intervention also resulted in a long-term increase in pharmacovigilance competence. We recommend implementing real-life, context- and problem-based pharmacovigilance learning assignments in all healthcare curricula.

The levels, prevalence and related factors of compassion fatigue among oncology nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Compassion fatigue is described as the phenomenon of exhaustion and dysfunction in healthcare workers resulting from prolonged exposure to work-related stress and compassion stress. Oncology nurses are at high risk for compassion fatigue. AIMS: Our study aims to estimate the levels, prevalence and related factors of compassion fatigue dimension in oncology nurses. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHOD: Ten electronic databases were conducted in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Time frame of the searches is from inception up to 31 January 2020. The research team independently conducted study selection, quality assessments, data extractions and analysis of all included studies. The means, standard deviations and prevalence of three dimensions of compassion fatigue were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. The PRISMA guideline was used to report the systematic review and meta-analysis. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020205521. RESULTS: The systematic review included 21 studies, involving 6533 oncology nurses across 6 different countries. In our studies, the pooled mean scores of compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress (STS) were 35.47 (95% CI: 33.54-37.41), 24.94 (95% CI: 23.47-26.41) and 24.48 (95% CI: 23.36-25.60), respectively; the pooled prevalence of "low" rates of CS, "high" rates of BO and STS were 20% (CI 13%-28%), 22% (CI 18%-26%) and 22% (CI 17%-28%), respectively; furthermore, geographical regions (Asia) significantly affect the prevalence of compassion fatigue among oncology nurses. The compassion fatigue variables considered were demographic (age, marital status, education background, health condition and gender), work-related (job satisfaction, income satisfaction, years of working experience, professional title, position and work environment) and other variables (social support, coping strategy, self-compassion, professional cognition and psychological training). CONCLUSION: Oncology nurses were at "moderate" level of compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress, and 22% of oncology nurses suffered from "high" risk of compassion fatigue. Hospital administrators should develop interventions to address compassion fatigue phenomenon, and enhance the mental health of oncology nurses and nursing care results. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Oncology unit warrants special attention, and oncology nurses are at high risk for compassion fatigue. However, the reported prevalence rates and oncology nurses with different characteristics vary considerably. The review provides a preliminary framework for nursing administrators to develop interventions to address compassion fatigue phenomenon, and enhance the psychological health of oncology nurses.

Factors associated with self-management practices and self-efficacy among adults with cancer under treatment in Saudi Arabia.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To discover the current state of self-management practices and levels of self-efficacy among adults with cancer under treatment in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia, and to identify their associated factors. BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cancer and cancer treatment-related problems is increasing in Saudi Arabia. However, effective cancer care programmes are not provided in this country. DESIGN: Cross-sectional correlational study. METHODS: This study was conducted with a convenience sample of 130 adults with cancer under treatment from May 2020-August 2020 at the largest tertiary care hospital providing cancer care in the western region, Saudi Arabia. The study methods were compliant with the STROBE checklist. Data were collected by Self-Care Inventory, Strategies Used by People to Promote Health, and sociodemographic and clinical surveys. Descriptive statistics and stepwise linear regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: The total score for self-management practices was 84.38 (SD = 13.66) and self-efficacy, as a strong associated factor of self-management, earned a total score of 104.24 (SD = 15.87). Stepwise regression analysis identified self-efficacy, age and education level as important associated variables, explaining 57.6% of the total variance in self-management practices. Significant effects of age, gender, marital status and duration of cancer on patients' self-efficacy were also found. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of self-management practices and self-efficacy to manage cancer treatment-related problems demonstrated by patients with cancer in this study were rated as a medium. Self-efficacy, age and education level were the significant factors associated with self-management practices of patients in Saudi Arabia. Age, gender, marital status and duration of cancer were identified as associated factors of self-efficacy. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Enhancing patient's adherence to self-management practices and increase patient's self-efficacy through adopting educational intervention programmes, considering patient's sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics, and continuous patient education must be taken into consideration in the cancer management plan.

A qualitative study of Ghanaian pediatric oncology nurses' care practice challenges.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric cancer is a global problem, and some studies have emphasized that nurses caring for these children experience work-related challenges. This has caused many children diagnosed with cancer to have a prolonged hospital stay and suffer unnecessary pain. However, there is insufficient documentary evidence on this issue. This study aims to explore and understand the challenges faced by pediatric oncology nurses in caring for children in Ghana. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative research design study was conducted from August 2019 to April 2020. The study was conducted at the pediatric oncology unit which is located at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), Ghana. The study was conducted among 14 Ghanaian pediatric oncology nurses who were purposively sampled. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed inductively using Elo and Kyngas content analysis approach. The criteria proposed by Guba and Lincoln were used to ensure the validity of the study. RESULTS: From the analysis of participants transcripts, eight subcategories emerged from two major categories. The subcategories were; time-consuming care, low job motivations, inadequate logistics, work stress, reduced labour force, low knowledge level, lack of teamwork and the perception of contracting cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The results point to several organizational and personal constraints experienced by the nurses who work at the pediatric oncology ward. It is hoped that by addressing these challenges, it would lead to further improvement in the care that is provided to children with cancer. There is the need for the administrative managers of hospitals, government and other stakeholders to invest in human, material and financial resources for delivering childhood cancer care services.

Oncology nurses' compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: For oncology nurses, compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfactions are frequently experienced psychosocial consequences of the oncology work environment. Surveying such phenomena helps to understand how nurses feel and behave when cancer care is provided. Besides, tracking the evolving nature of those three concepts can lend a hand for the early detection of personal and professional suffering of nurses while offering some healing remedies to their struggling bodies and souls. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the level of compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfaction among a group of specialized oncology nurses. Besides, this study aimed to detect some probable interesting inferences between compassion satisfaction and the concept of rest and leisure. Correlations between compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfaction were investigated. Correlations between oncology nurses' scores on the three subscales and a group of demographic, organizational and leisure-related variables were examined. METHODS: This study adopted a descriptive correlation design to survey compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfaction among a convenient sample of 100 oncology nurses who work in a specialized cancer care centre. Participants completed compassion fatigue self-test developed by Figely (Compassion fatigue, New York: Brunner/Mazel. B. HudnallStamm, Traumatic Stress Research Group; 1995-1998. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~bhstamm/index.htm, 1995) and a literature-based demographic survey. Analysis of data included descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation co-efficient. RESULTS: Nurses reported a low level of compassion satisfaction, moderate risk for burn out and an extremely high risk for compassion fatigue. Results revealed significant negative relationships among compassion satisfaction and the number of dependents per nurse. Additionally the correlation between compassion satisfaction and the nurses' number of hours slept was positive. Only two components of the concept rest and leisure yielded statistical significance when correlated to the concept of compassion satisfaction. A significant negative relationship was observed between compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue while a strong positive relationship was observed between compassion fatigue and burn out. CONCLUSIONS: The studied oncology nurses sample had evidently low level of compassion satisfaction when contrasted to the significantly increased risks of burn out and compassion fatigue. Thus, health authorities and management are advised to care, in a holistic approach, for nurses who work in oncology departments. Staff-oriented services that offer comfort, reward, leisure, screening, consultation and support are urgently recommended.

Challenges facing oncology nurses in Jordan: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The literature shows that oncology nurses have more stressors than nurses in other units. They face many challenges both within and outside the work environment that affect them negatively. Most of the reviewed studies concerning these challenges were conducted in developed countries. AIM: The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges experienced by oncology nurses in Jordan during their daily practice. METHOD: A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted. Semistructured individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with 24 nurses. Participants were selected from oncology departments in one of the biggest governmental hospitals in Jordan. RESULTS: Two main themes were drawn from the data analysis. The first discussed the personal challenges that oncology nurses encountered. These included emotional attachment to patients and difficulties in separating work and personal life. The second related to organizational challenges in the work environment, which included the nurses' lack of authority to inform patients about their diseases, nursing staff and supply shortages, and a lack of orientation programs. All of these factors affected the psychological status of the nurses. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that the working environment for oncology nurses is highly stressful and demanding and these nurses face many challenges in their work. The understanding and consideration of these challenges by stakeholders, managers, and organizational leaders would lead to improvements in the nurses' psychological state, thereby enhancing the quality of care in these units and helping with staff retention.

The relationships between coping, occupational stress, and emotional intelligence in newly hired oncology nurses.

OBJECTIVES: Associations between the varying levels of emotional intelligence in newly hired oncology nurses and their responses to stress and coping were examined. The secondary aim was to analyze whether emotional intelligence could moderate their choice of problem-focused or emotion-focused coping strategies. METHODS: Newly hired nurses (n = 114) were recruited from a national cancer institute. Data were collected through surveys using the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, the Nursing Stress Scale, and the Emotional Quotient Inventory between the eighth and twelfth weeks post-hire date. Descriptive and bivariate statistical analyses were conducted on all variables. Regression models determined whether emotional intelligence moderated the choice of coping strategies. RESULTS: Emotional intelligence had a mean value of M = 105.24, SD = 13.02, and occupational stress scores were M = 65.57, SD = 15.68. Significant negative correlations were found for occupational stress and problem-focused coping (r = -.189, P = .022), emotional intelligence and emotion-focused coping (r = -.340, P = .000), and emotional intelligence and occupational stress (r = -.428, P < 0.001). Positive correlations were noted between occupational stress and emotion-focused coping (r = .189, P = .022) and emotional intelligence and problem-focused coping (r = .340, P = .000). Emotional intelligence did not predict the choice of coping strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Although emotional intelligence did not moderate coping strategies in newly hired nurses, using problem focused coping to address occupational stress during the initial employment period may be a protective factor for coping with stress in the oncology workplace.