Effective Outpatient Nursing Support to Facilitate Rehabilitation after Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery for Patients and Their Family Members

Abstract

Abstract

This study aimed to implement and improve the effectiveness of an outpatient nursing support program developed by the authors (2003) to facilitate postoperative rehabilitation of gastrointestinal cancer patients and their family members. Subjects were adult patients who underwent surgery for gastrointestinal cancer after being informed that they had cancer and who regularly received post-operative outpatient treatment, and their family members. During a two-month period, the previously developed nursing support program was conducted by the first author who is a nurse. Responses regarding the support program were collected as descriptive data through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The protocol of this research was approved in advance by the ethics committees of the participating facilities. Data were analyzed by qualitative and inductive methods and any description of “changes observed in the subjects” and “nursing support” observed to have elicited such changes were extracted. Data obtained from 20 sets of patients and family members about changes observed in the subjects were sorted into 14 categories of 4 different meaning groups including “balanced self-esteem” and “ability to look after one’s own health”. The data also indicated that the nursing support could be sorted into 9 categories of 3 different meaning groups including “helping patients to open their minds” and “inducing inner power”. Consequently, 4 specific nursing support practices were identified that should be the focus of an effective outpatient nursing support program that facilitates the post-operative rehabilitation of gastrointestinal cancer patients and their family members. These included “facilitating acceptance of changes in physical and psychosocial status following surgery for gastrointestinal cancer and inducing self-affirmation to sustain energy to live with the disease”. The improved support practices include “sharing emotions and life experiences and recognizing efforts for rehabilitation”.