Breast cancer patients' experiences of nursing care with the focus on emotional support: the implementation of a nursing intervention.
Nursing care with the focus on emotional support, aimed at improving breast cancer patients' adjustment to everyday life, was implemented. The women were offered the opportunity to talk about illness-related thoughts and reactions, as well as to express feelings of anxiety, fear and anguish with a nurse who listened, consoled and answered questions. The organizational changes included extensive co-operation between the surgical ward and primary health care, shorter waiting times, and changed routines around information about the diagnosis. A total of 26 Swedish women, aged 35-69, with newly diagnosed breast cancer, described their experiences of the disease and nursing care in a semi-structured interview 6 months after the primary treatment. Data were coded by open coding; themes and categories were formulated. Findings showed that emotional support, as well as organizational changes of care, led to feelings of safety and security. Most of the women could plan for the future despite a demanding situation. The study indicates that the nursing intervention may improve women's sense of control, and also that further changes in care are needed to meet their psychosocial needs, such as adequate information about medical treatment and more 'confirming' relationships.