A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Nurses’ Experience in Providing Anxiety First Aid to Patients with Cancer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18196/ijnp.v9i1.23802Keywords:
anxiety, anxiety first aid, nurses’ experience, cancer patientAbstract
Background: Anxiety is a crucial issue in patients with cancer. Excessive and undetectable anxiety in cancer patients will contribute to the worsening of cancer patients' conditions. Therefore, nurses play a crucial role in providing anxiety first aid for cancer patients.
Objective: The purpose of the study is to explore nurses’ experience in delivering anxiety first aid to patients with cancer.
Method: This study utilized a descriptive qualitative design and reported following COREQ. The study was conducted in a public hospital in Surakarta, Indonesia. It included sixteen oncology nurses selected using a purposive sampling technique. Five head nurses participated in the focus group discussion, while the other eleven primary nurses conducted in-depth interviews. The focus group discussion lasted approximately 90 minutes, while each nurse's in-depth interview lasted approximately 60 minutes. The data analysis used the Colaizzi method.
Results: The study indicated five themes, including 1) factors that cause anxiety, 2) psychosocial interventions for anxiety first aid, 3) peer support, 4) healthcare constraints, and 5) expectations for improving healthcare quality.
Conclusion: The study highlighted factors that cause anxiety, psychosocial interventions for anxiety, first aid, peer support, treatment constraints, and expectations for improvement of health care services. To improve healthcare services for patients with cancer, it is important to establish a digital-based mental health support system, such as a friendly digital platform that serves as an instrument for healthcare providers to conduct timely and precise screenings and manage anxiety, thereby alleviating the burden of nurses' already considerable workloads.
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