title: Canadian Nurses' Perspectives on Prostate Cancer Support Groups: A Survey Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prostate cancer support groups (PCSGs) are community-based organizations that offer information and psychosocial support to men who experience prostate cancer and their families. Nurses are well positioned to refer men to a range of psychosocial resources to help them adjust to prostate cancer; however, little is known about nurses' perspectives on PCSGs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe nurses' views about PCSGs as a means to making recommendations for advancing the effectiveness of PCSGs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of 101 Canadian nurses completed a 43-item Likert-scale questionnaire with the additional option of providing comments in response to an open-ended question. Univariate descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants held positive views about the roles and potential impact of PCSGs. Participants strongly endorsed the benefits of support groups in disseminating information and providing support to help decrease patient anxiety. Online support groups were endorsed as a practical alternative for men who are reluctant to participate in face-to-face groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that nurses support the value of Canadian face-to-face and online PCSGs. This is important, given that nurses can help connect individual patients to community-based sources providing psychosocial support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many men benefit from participating in PCSGs. Aside from positively endorsing the work of PCSGs, nurses are important partners for raising awareness of these groups among potential attendees and can directly contribute to information sharing in face-to-face and online PCSGs.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: School of Nursing (Mr Yu Ko, Dr Oliffe, Ms Han, Dr Garrett, and Mr Sohrevardi), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; and School of Nursing and Midwifery (Dr Henwood; Dr Tuckett), University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Wellam F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Yu Ko
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Oliffe
authors.forename: Christina S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Bernie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Henwood
authors.forename: Anthony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Tuckett
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sohrevardi
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires