Oncology Patients and Oncology Nurses Perceptions related to Importance of Caring Behaviors and Delivery of Caring Plan in Teaching Hospital of Shahid Ghazi –Tabatabaei, Tabriz, 2009.

Abstract

Abstract: Background: "Caring" is the "essence" of nursing. Caring to be meaningful, needs to be based on mutual agreement between nurses and patients. However, previous research demonstrated significant disagreement in prioritizing important caring behaviors. Real perceptions of caring behaviors will cause and effective interaction between nurse –patient which leads to increase patients' satisfaction. Nevertheless, in our country, this problem as of effective in cancer patients' satisfaction has been considered less. Aim: The current study aimed at comparison the caring behaviors which oncology patients and oncology nurses perceive and delivering a care plan. Methods: This study is a comparative descriptive design. Convenience sampling was used to recruit patients (n=200), and for nurses all of them (n=40) were asked to take part in the study. We collected information with using Caring Assessment Questionnaire, developed by Larson. Caring behaviors were ranked on a 5-point Likert –type scale and ordered in 6 subscales: "Being accessible", "Explains and facilitates", "Comforts", "Anticipates', "Trusting relationship", and "Monitors and follows through". Results: the results demonstrate that both groups considered the same order of importance of caring, the high ranking of "Monitors and Follows through", and "Being accessible" and the low ranking of "comforts" and "Trusting relationships". Also, patients ranked only "Being accessible" (p=0.04) and "Explains and facilities" (p=0.03) higher than nurses. Conclusion: In current study, oncology patients and oncology nurses agree on important caring behaviors of nurses. Furthermore, the "Being accessible" and "Explains and facilities" subscales were more value by patients than nurses, so it is needed that nurses notice this issue in clinical work. Also, both the oncology patients and nurses perceived highly physical aspects of caring. However, for delivering holistic care, oncology nurses must value affective/ emotional aspect of caring, too.