Asian Oncol Nurs.  2024 Dec;24(4):173-183. 10.5388/aon.2024.24.4.173.

Cancer Patients' and Caregivers' Experiences Admitted to Comprehensive Nursing Care Service Wards: An Exploratory Qualitative Research

• Lim S
• Cho MY
• Shin HJ
• Song KY
• Shim SK
• Lee YJ
• Kwon HJ
• Kim JE
• Kim HE
• Park HJ
• An HW
• Hyeon SJ
• Kim S

• KMID: 2563943
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2024.24.4.173

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore and assess the experiences of cancer patients and their caregivers who had been admitted to comprehensive nursing care service wards.
Methods
Data were collected from 10 patients and 10 caregivers by in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using content analysis of Downe-Wamboldt.
Results
Three categories and seven subcategories were extracted. 1) Realizing institutional limitations of comprehensive nursing care service: ‘Wishing for precise operating systems based on patient severity,’ ‘Anticipating active caregiver participation in treatment process,’ ‘Requiring a countermeasure for safety accidents,’ 2) Professional nursing service which provides relief: ‘Patient-centered professional nursing service,’ ‘Inpatient service that provides relief for patients and caregivers,’ 3) Anticipating continuous use of the service: ‘Inpatient service which users are willing to reuse,’ ‘Wishing for expansion and reinforcement of the service.’
Conclusion
Cancer patients and their caregivers experienced institutional limitations while satisfied with professional nursing service and willing to reuse the service. To improve this situation, institutional support such as separate wards for severe patients, measures for active caregiver participation and prevention of safety accidents, and adequate staffing would be helpful for relatively severe level cancer patients and their caregivers.

Keyword

Caregivers; Neoplasms; Patients; Qualitative research