Biomaterial Database

Understanding oncology nurses' difficulties caring for suicidal people. 2000

S M Valente, and J M Saunders

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.

Clinical challenges occur when patients consider suicide. Despite improved treatment, people with cancer have an increased risk of suicide. While previous research examined patients' perspectives, this study describes the nurse's perspective of difficulty of caring for suicidal patients. Suicidal ideas constitute common psychiatric complications of cancer, however we know little of the nurse's difficulties in care giving. As part of a larger study of oncology nurses' knowledge, we randomly surveyed 1,200 clinical oncology nurses and 434 returned completed questionnaires (37%). This paper describes content analysis of oncology nurses' narratives about their difficulties responding to suicidal patients. Six categories emerged: religious/other values, uncomfortable feelings, inadequate knowledge, personal experiences, and weight of professional responsibility which made it difficult for most nurses to care for suicidal patients. Some nurses reported they had no difficulties. Care giving is also difficult because the patient's right to choose suicide may conflict with the nurse's professional obligation to prevent suicide.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D009723	Nurse-Patient Relations	Interaction between the patient and nurse.	Nurse Patient Relations,Nurse Patient Relationship,Nurse Patient Relationships,Nurse-Patient Relation,Patient Relations, Nurse,Patient Relationship, Nurse,Patient Relationships, Nurse,Relations, Nurse Patient,Relations, Nurse-Patient,Relationship, Nurse Patient,Relationships, Nurse Patient
D002140	California	State bounded on the east by Nevada and Arizona, on the south by Mexico and the Pacific Ocean on the south and west, and on the north by Oregon.
D002170	Canada	The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.
D004993	Ethics, Nursing	The principles of proper professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of nurses themselves, their patients, and their fellow practitioners, as well as their actions in the care of patients and in relations with their families.	Nursing Ethics,Ethic, Nursing,Nursing Ethic
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001291	Attitude of Health Personnel	Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc.	Staff Attitude,Attitude, Staff,Attitudes, Staff,Health Personnel Attitude,Health Personnel Attitudes,Staff Attitudes
D012945	Social Values	Abstract standards or empirical variables in social life which are believed to be important and/or desirable.	Value Orientation,Values, Social,Value Orientations
D013405	Suicide	The act of killing oneself.	Suicides