RESUMO
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the psychological distress, sexual satisfaction, and quality of life of gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses during cancer survivorship. BACKGROUND: The survival rate of patients with cancer is increasing owing to advances in medical treatment technology. Spouses are the closest companions of gynaecological cancer survivors. Patients with gynaecological cancer and their spouses face different situations and challenges after experiencing cancer invasion. DESIGN: Questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. METHODS: Convenience sampling was employed, and 180 participants, including patients with gynaecological cancer and their spouses, were enrolled. A structured questionnaire was used to investigate the psychological distress, sexual satisfaction, and quality of life of gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses during acute, extended, and permanent survivorship. The STROBE checklist guided the study preparation. RESULTS: For gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses, (1) severe psychological distress was present during acute survivorship, with anxiety extending until permanent survivorship; (2) no significant differences were observed in pre- and post-treatment sexual satisfaction, although pre-treatment sexual satisfaction was higher than post-treatment sexual satisfaction in all three cancer survivorship stages and (3) quality of life decreased during acute survivorship and gradually improved with time. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological distress, sexual satisfaction and quality of life of gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses worsened during acute survivorship and improved over time until permanent survivorship. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses experience anxiety and depression from diagnosis confirmation until permanent survivorship (>5 years survival). Therefore, clinical nurses' sensitivity to emotional distress in cancer survivors and their spouses can be improved and a consistent and routine evaluation method has been established for the early detection of such emotional distress. The results of this study can provide a reference for clinical healthcare professionals and contribute to a better quality of care.
RESUMO
(1) Background: To counteract the recent severe decline in birthrates in Taiwan, a number of child welfare policies are being promoted. Parental leave is among the most discussed policies in recent years. Nurses are healthcare providers, but their own right to healthcare has not been well investigated and should receive more attention. (2) Aim: This study aimed to understand the experience journey of nurses in Taiwan from considering applying for parental leave to returning to work. (3) Methods: Qualitative design with in-depth interviews was conducted with 13 female nurses from three hospitals in northern Taiwan. (4) Results: Content analysis of the interviews revealed five themes, i.e., considerations for taking parental leave, support received from other parties, life experience during parental leave, concerns regarding the return to the workplace, and preparations for the return to the workplace. Participants were motivated to apply for parental leave due to the lack of help with childcare, the desire to care for their own child, or if their financial situation allowed it. They received support and help during the application process. Participants were happy that they could participate in important developmental stages of their child, but were concerned about disconnect from society. Participants were concerned about not being able to resume work. They successfully returned to the workplace through arranging childcare services, self-adapting and learning. (5) Conclusions: This study can serve as a reference for female nurses considering parental leave and provides insights to management teams for building a friendly nursing workplace and creating mutually beneficial situations.
