Educating the Existential View to Nurses in Cancer Care: A Review

Negin Masoudi Alavi, Fatemeh Hosseini

Abstract


Background: The aim of this study was to review the interventional studies about educating existential concepts to the nurses working in cancer care.

Materials and Methods: In this systematic narrative review, the papers published in English and Farsi databases of PubMed, Elsevier, web of since, Scopus, ProQuest, ERIC, Google Scholar and Ovid, MagIran and SID, from 1990 to 2018 were reviewed. Methodological quality of the studies was independently assessed by, using checklists developed by Greenhalgh, and Cochrane Center. No statistical pooling of the outcomes was performed, due to heterogeneity of the outcomes.

Results: After wide search, the 17 studies entered to this narrative study. The results showed that educating the existential concept to the nurses dealing with cancer patients can improve their self‑competency in providing efficient care to these patients and their ability in decision making. It also enhances their quality of life and decreases the death anxiety and emotional exhaustion.

Conclusions: There were limited and low quality interventional studies about the effects of educating existential concepts to the nurses dealing with cancer patients. These studies showed that knowing this philosophy can help nurses to address caring needs of cancer patients more efficiently. The specific method or content of education cannot be recommended because of the large differences in the methodologies between the studies.


Keywords


Death, education, existentialism, Iran, nursing

Full Text:

PDF

References


Gale CL. A Study Guide for” Existentialism”. Gale: Cengage Learning; 2016; p. 33.

Mahvelati AM, Pourshahriari M, Azerbaijani M. Viktor Frankl’s view on anthropology and comparing it with Islam’s approach. Int J Humanit Cult Stud 2016; 409‑429.

Purves D, Delon N. Meaning in the lives of humans and other animals. Philos Stud 2018;175:317‑38.

Mallory JL. The impact of a palliative care educational component on attitudes toward care of the dying in undergraduate nursing students. J Prof Nurs 2003;19:305‑12.

Udo C, Melin‑Johansson C, Henoch I, Axelsson B, Danielson E. Surgical nurses’ attitudes towards caring for patients dying of cancer–A pilot study of an educational intervention on existential issues. Eur J Cancer Care 2014;23:426‑40.

Clarke G, Fistein E, Holland A, Barclay M, Theimann P, Barclay S. Preference’s forcare towards the end of life when decision‑making capacity may be impaired: A large scale cross‑sectional survey of public attitudes in Great Britain and the United States. PLoS One 2017;12:e0172104.

Khoshnood Z, Iranmanesh S, Rayyani M, Dehghan M. Getting out or remaining in the cage of inauthentic self: The meaning of existential challenges in patients’ with cancer. Indian J Palliat Care 2018;24:131.

Iwasaki M, Di Bianca MS, Nicholas DR. A forbidden topic at the end of life: “What about you after I’m gone?. Psychooncology 2018;27:2665‑7.

LeMay K, Wilson KG. Treatment of existential distress in life threatening illness: A review of manualized interventions. Clin Psychol Rev 2008;28:472‑93.

Rodrigues P, Crokaert J, Gastmans C. Palliative sedation for existential suffering: A systematic review of argument‑based ethics literature. J Pain Symptom Manage 2018;55:1577‑90.

Tornoe KA, Danbolt LJ, Kvigne K, Sorlie V. The challenge of consolation: Nurses’ experiences with spiritual and existential care for the dying‑a phenomenological hermeneutical study. BMC Nursing 2015;14:62.

Harden K, Price D, Duffy E, Galunas L, Rodgers C, Harden K, et al. Palliative care: Improving nursing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Clin J Oncol Nurs 2017;21:E232‑8.

Donohue‑Porter P, Forbes MO, White JH, Baumann SL. Transforming nursing education and the formation of students: Using the human becoming paradigm. Nurs Sci Q 2017;30:134‑42.

Liu H, Shi H, Yang Q, Rowlands A, Han M. Use of religion: An effective method of coping among Chinese patients with cancer Open J Nurs 2015;893.

Nierop‑van Baalen C, Grypdonck M, Van Hecke A, Verhaeghe S. Hope dies last… A qualitative study into the meaning of hope for people with cancer in the palliative phase. Eur J Cancer Care 2016;25:570‑9.

Hoffman L, Vallejos L, Cleare‑Hoffman HP, Rubin S. Emotion, relationship, and meaning as core existential practice: Evidence‑based foundations. J Contemp Psychother 2015;45:11‑20.

Marziliano A, Pessin H, Rosenfeld B, Breitbart W. Measuring cohesion and self‑disclosure in psychotherapy groups for patients with advanced cancer: An analysis of the psychometric properties of the group therapy experience scale. Int J Group Psychother 2018;68:407‑27.

van Meurs J, Smeets W, Vissers KC, Groot M, Engels Y. Nurses exploring the spirituality of their patients with cancer. Cancer Nurs 2018;41:E39.

Kruizinga R, Hartog ID, Jacobs M, Daams JG, Scherer‑Rath M, Schilderman JB, et al. The effect of spiritual interventions addressing existential themes using a narrative approach on quality of life of cancer patients: A systematic review and meta‑analysis. Psychooncology 2016;25:253‑65.

Maria B, Ingela H, Christina M‑J, Susann S, Ella D. Existential encounters: Nurses’ descriptions of critical incidents in end‑of‑life cancer care. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2014;18:636‑44.

Strang S, Henoch I, Danielson E, Browall M, Melin‑Johansson C. Communication about existential issues with patients close to death—nurses’ reflections on content, process and meaning. Psychooncology 2014;23:562‑8.

Adams RN, Mosher CE, Abonour R, Robertson MJ, Champion VL, Kroenke K. Cognitive and situational precipitants of cancer patients’ loneliness. A qualitative analysis. Oncol Nurs Forum 2016;43:156.

Masterson M, Rosenfeld B, Breitbart W. Meaning‑centered psychotherapy for cancer patients with advanced and terminal illness. In: Perspectives on Behavioral Interventions in Palliative and End‑of‑Life Care. Routledge; 2018. p. 80‑102.

Meier EA, Gallegos JV, Thomas LP, Depp CA, Irwin SA, Jeste Dv. defining a good death (successful dying): Literature review and a call for research and public dialogue. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2016;24:261‑71.

Wong PT. Viktor Frankl’s meaning‑seeking model and positive psychology. In: Meaning in Positive and Existential Psychology. New York, NY: Springer; 2014; 149‑184.

Gulbrandsen P, Clayman ML, Beach MC, Han PK, Boss EF, Ofstad EH, et al. Shared decision‑making as an existential journey: Aiming for restored autonomous capacity. Patient Educ Couns 2016;99:1505‑10.

Reed FM, Fitzgerald L, Bish MR. A practice model for rural district nursing success in end‑of‑life advocacy care. Scand J Caring Sci 2018;32:746‑55.

Henoch I, Danielson E, Strang S, Browall M, Melin‑ Johansson C. Training intervention for health care staff in the provision of existential support to patients with cancer: A randomized, controlled study. J Pain Symptom Manage 2013;46:785‑94.

Fallowfield L, Saul J, Gilligan B. Teaching senior nurses how to teach communication skills in oncology. Cancer Nurs 2001;24:185‑91.

Koslowski N, Klein K, Arnold K, Koesters M, Schuetzwohl M, Salize HJ, et al. Effectiveness of interventions for adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities and mental health problems: Systematic review and meta‑analysis. Br J Psychiatry 2016;209:469‑74.

Greenhalgh T, Robert G, Macfarlane F, Bate P, Kyriakidou O. Diffusion of innovations in service organizations: Systematic review and recommendations. Milbank Q 2004;82:581‑629.

Morita T, Murata H, Hirai K, Tamura K, Kataoka J, Ohnishi H, et al. Meaninglessness in terminally ill cancer patients: A validation study and nurse education intervention trial. J Pain Symptom Manage 2007;34:160‑70.

Frommelt KH. Attitudes toward care of the terminally ill: An educational Intervention. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2003;20:13‑22.

Frommelt KH. The effects of death education on nurses’ attitudes toward caring for terminally ill persons and their families. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 1991;8:37‑43.

Udo C, Danielson E, Henoch I, Melin‑Johansson C. Surgical nurses’ work‑related stress when caring for severely ill and dying patients in cancer after participating in an educational intervention on existential issues. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2013;17:546‑53.

Sand L, Olsson M, Strang P. Supporting in an existential crisis: A mixed‑methods evaluation of a training model in palliative care. Palliat Support Care 2018;16:470‑8.

Morita T, Murata H, Kishi E, Miyashita M, Yamaguchi T, Uchitomi Y. Meaninglessness in terminally ill cancer patients: a randomized controlled study. J Pain Symptom Manage 2009;37:649‑58.

Fillion L, Duval S, Dumont S, Gagnon P, Tremblay I, Bairati I, et al. Impact of a meaning‑centered intervention on job satisfaction and on quality of life among palliative care nurses. Psychooncology 2009;18:1300‑10.

Henoch I, Strang S, Browall M, Danielson E, Melin‑Johansson C. Development of an existential support training program for healthcare professionals. Palliat Support Care 2015;13:1701‑9.

Hainsworth DS. The effect of death education on attitudes of hospital nurses toward care of the dying. Oncol Nurs Forum 1996;23:963‑7.

Fillion L, Dupuis R, Tremblay I, De Grâce GR, Breitbart W. Enhancing meaning in palliative care practice: A meaning‑ centered intervention to promote job satisfaction. Palliat Support Care 2006;4:333‑44.

Morita T, Tamura K, Kusajima E, Sakai S, Kawa M, Imura C, et al. Nurse education program on meaninglessness in terminally ill cancer patients: A randomized controlled study of a novel two‑ day workshop. J Palliat Med 2014;17:1298‑305.

Chan, WC, Tin AF, Wong KL. Effectiveness of an experiential workshop for enhancing helping professionals’ self‑competence in death work in Hong Kong: A randomized controlled trial. Health Soc Care Community 2017;25:1070‑9.

Kubota Y, Okuyama T, Uchida M, Umezawa S, Nakaguchi T, Sugano K, et al. Effectiveness of a psycho‑oncology training program for oncology nurses: a randomized controlled trial. Psychooncology 2016;25:712‑8.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.