title: The experiences of district nurses caring for people receiving palliative chemotherapy.
abstract: The treatment options being offered to people with advanced cancer are increasing with growing use of palliative chemotherapy. As people are experiencing shorter hospital stays and receiving treatment on an outpatient basis, this has implications for primary health-care provision. This study aimed to explore the experiences of district nurses caring for patients receiving palliative chemotherapy: how they viewed their role, factors that influenced their role and their attitudes to palliative chemotherapy. Data were collected using qualitative interviews that incorporated critical incident technique (n=10). Themes that emerged from the content analysis included the role of the district nurse, knowing the patient and family, the interface between hospital and primary care, and uncertain ground. District nurses saw their role as having relevance at all stages of the patient's cancer journey and the provision of holistic care based on good interpersonal relationships was valued. However, difficulties were perceived at the interface between hospital and primary care. District nurses had ambivalent attitudes to palliative chemotherapy but had positive attitudes towards optimizing quality of life and care in the palliative stages of illness.
authors.affiliation: Tayside Primary Care Trust, Macmillan Day Care Unit, Royal Victoria Hospital, Jedburgh Road, Dundee, DD2 1SP, UK. jane.andrew@tpct.scot.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrew
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Whyte
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012606:Scotland; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents