It's harder: nurses' experiences of caring for patients with cancer recurrence

Objective: To examine the experiences and responses of nurses caring for patients with recurrence of cancer. Material and methods: A qualitative cross-sectional study based on grounded theory. Data was collected, based on semi-structured interviews carried out in four cancer units of two hospitals in Navarra, after obtaining ethical approval. The sample consisted of 14 nurses. Results: Providing care during cancer recurrence is described as a difficult situation, even more than in the first diagnosis of cancer. This is because nurses have to deal with the loss of patient hope in treatment and the fear of the possibility of the patient's death. To deal with this reality, nurses try to do their best to meet the emotional needs of the patient, at the same time as managing barriers including lack of time, workload, and inadequate training in psycho-oncology. Conclusions: The data show the difficulty nurses have in dealing with the emotional care of patients with recurrence. If the Health Service commitment is to offer holistic care to cancer patients and their families, there should be a corresponding commitment towards improving nursing training in psychosocial issues. (C) 2009 Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.