Biomaterial Database

The meaning of cancer and oncology nursing: link to effective care. 1995

M Z Cohen

Department of Nursing, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90033, USA.

A better understanding of the meaning of cancer and oncology nursing may yield insights that will help identify ways in which nurses can obtain the resources they need to meet their own needs and to provide effective care. This article briefly reviews literature on job stress, burnout, coping, and job satisfaction and summarizes our research on nurses' descriptions of the meaning and nature of their work with cancer patients. Nurses described having three important roles: maintaining the goals and values of health care; participating in the patients' experiences; and reconciling the health care values and the patients' experiences (ie, the other two roles). Aspects that are rewarding are also difficult and individual experiences and perceptions changed the meaning of work, the needs nurses have, and the care they provide. The work of nursing may be most satisfying when nurses can articulate the meaning of their work and most effective when they understand how these meanings affect patient care.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007588	Job Satisfaction	Personal satisfaction relative to the work situation.	Work Satisfaction,Job Satisfactions,Satisfaction, Job,Satisfaction, Work,Satisfactions, Job,Satisfactions, Work,Work Satisfactions
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
D009859	Oncology Nursing	A nursing specialty concerned with the care provided to cancer patients. It includes aspects of family functioning through education of both patient and family.	Nursing, Oncologic,Oncologic Nursing,Cancer Nursing,Oncological Nursing,Nursing, Cancer,Nursing, Oncological,Nursing, Oncology
D002055	Burnout, Professional	An excessive stress reaction to one's occupational or professional environment. It may be characterized by feelings of emotional and physical exhaustion, coupled with a sense of frustration and failure.	Career Burnout,Occupational Burnout,Burnout, Career,Burnout, Occupational,Professional Burnout
D006040	Goals	The end-result or objective, which may be specified or required in advance.	Goal
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000223	Adaptation, Psychological	A state of harmony between internal needs and external demands and the processes used in achieving this condition. (From APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed).	Behavior, Adaptive,Healthy Adaptation,Positive Adaptation,Psychological Recovery,Adaptation, Psychologic,Adjustment,Psychological Adaptation,Adaptation, Healthy,Adaptation, Positive,Adaptive Behavior,Adaptive Behaviors,Healthy Adaptations,Positive Adaptations,Psychologic Adaptation,Psychological Recoveries,Recovery, Psychological
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
D013315	Stress, Psychological	Stress wherein emotional factors predominate.	Cumulative Stress, Psychological,Emotional Stress,Individual Stressors,Life Stress,Psychological Cumulative Stress,Psychological Stress Experience,Psychological Stress Overload,Psychologically Stressful Conditions,Stress Experience, Psychological,Stress Measurement, Psychological,Stress Overload, Psychological,Stress Processes, Psychological,Stress, Emotional,Stressful Conditions, Psychological,Psychological Stress,Stress, Psychologic,Stressor, Psychological,Condition, Psychological Stressful,Condition, Psychologically Stressful,Conditions, Psychologically Stressful,Cumulative Stresses, Psychological,Experience, Psychological Stress,Individual Stressor,Life Stresses,Measurement, Psychological Stress,Overload, Psychological Stress,Psychologic Stress,Psychological Cumulative Stresses,Psychological Stress Experiences,Psychological Stress Measurement,Psychological Stress Measurements,Psychological Stress Overloads,Psychological Stress Processe,Psychological Stress Processes,Psychological Stresses,Psychological Stressful Condition,Psychological Stressful Conditions,Psychological Stressor,Psychological Stressors,Psychologically Stressful Condition,Stress Experiences, Psychological,Stress Processe, Psychological,Stress, Life,Stress, Psychological Cumulative,Stressful Condition, Psychological,Stressful Condition, Psychologically,Stressor, Individual