Empowering Oncology Nurses through Knowledge and Practice to Improve Transitions Following Treatment and Survivorship Care

Understanding post-treatment self-management learning needs of young adults diagnosed with hematological cancer: a qualitative study

PURPOSE

To better support and promote an active role in survivorship, the purpose of this study was to identify and understand the perspective of young adults diagnosed with a hematological cancer in regard to their post-treatment self-management learning needs.

METHOD

An interpretative-descriptive study was conducted. Semi-structured individual interviews were carried out with eight young adults (ages 18 to 29 at the end of active treatment), diagnosed with a leukemia or lymphoma, who have not received active treatment for at least one year. Iterative content analysis of interview data was performed.

RESULTS

According to participants, it is when young adults experience transitions or feel alone in dealing with post-treatment challenges that they can identify a learning need. Protective factors and precipitating factors related to young adults, their entourage and their care providers (e.g., young adult characteristics, level of support, quality of patient education) can contribute to shape their view of self-management learning needs. For young adults, an underlying motivation guides the identification of attitudes (autonomy, responsibility, acceptance), knowledge (physical and psychosocial challenges, rights to accommodation for disability) or skills (self-assessment, action-planning, self-advocacy) to be gained.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports that young adults need more than information to feel confident in their ability to self-manage post-treatment challenges. Learning to self-manage is therefore a process of personal transformation, fueled by internal motivation, that also benefits from external support through collaboration between young adults, their entourage, and their care providers including oncology nurses.

Cancer nursing research priorities: A rapid review

PURPOSE

Identifying cancer nursing research priorities is central to influencing the direction of cancer care research. The aim of this rapid review was to explore research priorities identified by oncology nurses for cancer care delivery between 2019 and 2022.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis informed the design of the rapid review. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PUBMED, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies published between December 1st, 2018, and September 30th^, 2022. This timeframe was chosen to account for the latest relevant evidence synthesis, as well as changes in cancer care necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Quality Assessment of Diverse Studies tool was used to appraise quality.

RESULTS

Four studies met the inclusion criteria. Many of the research priorities identified were influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The top cancer nursing research priority identified was the role of technology in improving patient and caregiver symptoms and health outcomes. Other most prevalent research priorities were focused on symptom management, culturally sensitive palliative and psychosocial care, early/integrated palliative care, financial toxicity, modifiable risk factors related to social determinants of health, public and patient involvement in research, and oncology nurses' well-being and scope of practice.

CONCLUSION

The findings indicate a need to steer a strategic programme of cancer nursing research towards digitalisation in cancer care to meet the current needs of people living with cancer and their caregivers. However, cancer nurses' burnout, staff shortages and disparities in specialist education will hinder the implementation of certain models of care.