Original Article
Fatigue in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy
2006 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 72-80
Details
2006 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 72-80
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore the experience of fatigue in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Eleven patients participated in this study. Data were collected through unstructured interviews and were analyzed using a qualitative method. Categories and dimensions emerged from the data as follows; experiences of fatigue（feeling exhausted during daily activities, decreased desire to be active, less mobile, feeling out of control, unusual sleepiness, incomplete thought, no difficulty in limited activities, decreased endurance during activities when out of hospital, affected psycho―social aspects negatively）, self―care for coping with fatigue（limiting expenditure of energy by rest or adjusting activities, getting energy by uplifting themselves or common health―improving behavior, limiting and getting energy from distractions, preserving energy through exercises）, and factors influencing fatigue（physical, emotional）. Fatigue was demonstrated as an experience of process that these categories affected mutually and consecutively, and it was impossible to determine where these experiences of fatigue were processed. Fatigue was also illustrated by energy level changes. That is, a major aspect of experiencing fatigue involved a feeling of energy depletion, and such feeling initiated self―care behavior to control energy level. Findings in this research suggested that information about fatigue such as the anticipation of appearance, period and degree is needed by cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and should be given before the beginning of chemotherapy. It is also suggested that self―care education that does not excessively emphasize limiting expenditure of energy is needed. Furthermore, it was shown that controlling other symptoms such as nausea had an important impact on controlling fatigue. Further research on patints’ perspectives is needed to deepen understanding of fatigue in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and to develop effective nursing interventions.
