Witnessing tragedy: Nurses' perceptions of caring for patients with cancer

Abstract

This paper details one of the findings of a large phenomenological study into the effects of nurse-patient encounters on clinical learning and practice. Every nurse faces the challenge of caring for a patient with cancer at some point in his or her nursing career. The participants, 392 nurses, were asked to discuss a care episode from their practice and the impact this encounter had on clinical learning and practice. The data collection method was by way of a written narrative/clinical exemplar. Meaning units and themes were identified using the Nvivo computer program. The procedural method of Giorgi was followed in all phases of analysis. The participants provided a detached description of the patients' diagnoses but tended to become emotive when discussing the cancer treatment experience. Nurses detailed care episodes with insight and understanding of the consequences of cancer for the patient. Nurses used powerful language to illustrate the enormity of the cancer experience for the patient and family. Although the nurses recognized the emotional impact themselves, they attempted to understate it. Participants spoke of their frustration and their sadness when describing the nurse-patient encounters. The life-threatening potential of cancer for the patient and the perception of potential or actual suffering do impact on nurses, their learning and their clinical practice. This is particularly evident when the cancer experience for the patient is not predictable. Participants clearly felt the influence of patients' cancer experience, personally and professionally. Participants detailed learning from the encounters and reflected with great insight on themselves and their practice. Identifying the learning potential of nurse-patient encounters can contribute to change in clinical practice.

Stressful Childbirth Situations: A Qualitative Study of Midwives

“…Nevertheless, we have seen how their impact transcended the temporal and spatial dimensions, spilling over into the midwives’ personal lives. This is a familiar phenomenon experienced by many other health care professionals 16,30–33 . Often, these events were characterized as a turning point with long‐term effects 34 on the midwives’ professional careers, threatening both their professional as well as their personal identities.…”

A caring relationship with people who have cancer

“…Researchers who have explored the phenomenon of caring for people who have cancer and their family members describe caring relationships based on reciprocity as a core element in the care (Berterö 1999, Liu et al. 2006, Kendall 2006a, 2007). Nurses encountering with people who have a cancer diagnosis experience feelings of frustration and sadness, but these encounters also provide opportunities for their personal and professional development (Berterö 1999, Kendall 2006a, 2007).…”

“…2006, Kendall 2006a, 2007). Nurses encountering with people who have a cancer diagnosis experience feelings of frustration and sadness, but these encounters also provide opportunities for their personal and professional development (Berterö 1999, Kendall 2006a, 2007). Caring as perceived by people with cancer involves nurses having professional attitudes and skills in order to provide good care, including emotional and practical support (Liu et al.…”

Negotiating Uncertain Terrain: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinicians' Experiences of Refractory Suffering

“…Research that has been undertaken in this area has generally been on a single disciplinary group, usually nurses. [11][12][13] Clinicians in the face of refractory suffering often feel helpless in a situation in which their professional competence is challenged, and they respond in several ways including avoidance of the situation, 14,15 overidentification, 16 and the development of compassion fatigue. 17 While the ''suffering of the sufferer'' is often the clinicians' main focus, witnessing such distress affects all who enter the circle of care -be it family members, nurses, doctors, or allied health workers.…”