title: Psychosocial care in oncology nursing: a study of social knowledge.
abstract: A combination of focus group and individual interviews aimed to examine psychosocial aspects of nursing within a social context and social knowledge held by two teams of ward-based oncology nurses. Five core categories of knowledge emerged: knowledge of how to care, knowledge of the patient, knowledge of the ward, knowledge of nurses coping, and knowledge of involvement. Involvement or emotional closeness was seen as a necessary, inevitable and potentially stressful feature of psychosocial care. The authors conclude that interpersonal and professional aspects of nursing must be balanced in order to provide effective psychosocial care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine (Barnes Unit), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Snowball
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D004645:Empathy; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D012944:Social Support