Being informed: Undergoing radiation therapy

Abstract

This article aims to give insight into the experience of an intensive course of radiation therapy and relate the findings to the nurses working with individuals receiving radiation therapy. The purpose of this article is to describe and interpret the experiences of individuals undergoing radiation therapy in the cancer center of a large teaching hospital. The philosophic basis of this study was hermeneutic phenomenology and draws on the experiences described by 20 individuals undergoing radiation therapy through a series of unstructured interviews. The findings indicate that there are deficits in the care delivered in some radiation therapy departments. Information and preparation for radiation therapy are often inadequate or do not meet the needs of the individuals in this study. Participants continue to adopt a "sick" or "patient" role even though they attend treatments on an outpatient basis and are required to manage their own care, which results in a feeling of not being in control. Moreover, the coping styles of the participants vary and are not clearly identified and assisted by relevant health professionals. Care is not always well coordinated between the various health professionals, resulting in the patient receiving mixed or confusing messages about their treatments.