[The effect of crisis intervention by the visiting nurse with cancer patients].

Abstract

This study was undertaken at Yonsei University Medical Center to identify the crisis responses and nursing problems of patients who had been diagnosed with cancer, and changing patterns of grieving over time periods, and to analyse the effectiveness of follow up care through home visiting nursing. This study was carried out in three stages. The 1st study data were collected from a total of 205 patients who had been diagnosed with cancer from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 1987 using a cross-sectional method. The 2nd study data were collected three times from 30 patients with cancer at 4 weeks intervals from March 1 to June 31, 1988 using a longitudinal method. The 3rd study data were collected from two different groups from March 1 to June 31, 1988. One was an experimental group who was visited by nurses and the other one was a control group not visited by nurses. The subjects of the 3rd study consisted of 60 patients with cancer and a Quasi-experimental research design was used. The results were as follows: 1. The patients did not experience one stage at a time among the five stages of grieving, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, as identified by Kübler Ross. They experienced a combination of stages, especially of the bargaining and the depression stages. This stages did not change with the passing of time. 2. The patients expressed more physical and socioeconomical problems than emotional problems. And they used more problem coping methods than emotional coping methods. 3. Follow up care through home visiting nursing positively influenced the patient's quality of life, especially their physical well-being and symptom control. The patients responded positively to the home visiting nursing, stating that it was helpful to them. It was concluded that the development of a home visiting nursing program is needed for the effective home care of patients with cancer.