The Lived Experience of Work-Related Issues Among Oncology Nurses: A Metasynthesis

Background Many qualitative studies have focused on the experience of nurses specialized in oncology and the ways they describe and understand that experience. Objective We aimed to perform a metasynthesis, a systematic review, and an analysis of qualitative studies focused on the experiences and perspectives of oncology nurses about work-related issues. Methods We searched international publications to identify relevant qualitative research exploring oncology nurses' experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes and synthesize them. Results We identified 63 articles from 61 studies (>1000 nurses) from 23 countries. Two main themes emerged: (1) the relational dimension of work-related issues, on the one hand with other professionals and on the other hand with patients and families; and (2) the strategies for coping with the work-related difficulties, including partnership, communication and support, and training. Conclusions Our results revealed the central place of loneliness. The nurses simultaneously described feeling lonely due to their individual stance and being alone due to the absence of institutional support, with a confusion between these 2 forms of loneliness. This finding echoes specific aspects of oncology. Implications for Practice Specific training and support group appear to be relevant ways to help oncology nurse to cope better with this loneliness and to bear the stress of this difficult field.