Prechemotherapy Education: Reducing Patient Anxiety Through Nurse-Led Teaching Sessions
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BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer experience stress surrounding diagnosis and treatment. Many cancer centers employ a nurse-led education session to alleviate patient anxiety and confusion.
. OBJECTIVES: The goal was to evaluate the effect of a nurse-led chemotherapy teaching session on patients' knowledge, anxiety, and preparedness for cancer-directed therapy.
. METHODS: After discussing treatment with their oncologist, participants completed a survey assessing their perceived understanding of various treatment topics. After, they underwent a teaching session with an oncology nurse. The survey was readministered when patients returned for their first and second treatment cycles.
. FINDINGS: Significant increases were observed in patients' understanding of their treatment schedule, potential adverse effects, and antiemetic medication regimen by the first cycle of therapy and a reduction in treatment-related anxiety by the second cycle of therapy.

A breast navigator program: barriers, enhancers, and nursing interventions.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: to identify barriers to and enhancers of completion of breast cancer treatment from the perspective of participants in a breast health navigator program. RESEARCH APPROACH: qualitative, using focus group methodology and telephone interview. SETTING: two teaching hospital ambulatory cancer centers. PARTICIPANTS: women enrolled in the breast navigator program, including patients who completed (n = 13) and did not complete (n = 1) breast cancer treatment. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: researchers used semistructured, open-ended questioning to guide the interviews and elicit identification of barriers to and enhancers of treatment. A flexible approach was used and the interviews were recorded. Content analysis was used to identify themes. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: perceived barriers and enhancers of breast cancer treatment. FINDINGS: the most common theme was the value of the education and information received from the navigator. Several participants saw this as the essence of the role. Assistance with managing symptoms, access to financial and community resources, and the team approach were completion enhancers. CONCLUSIONS: completion of breast cancer therapy and care can be improved by recognizing the value the nurse navigator role brings to the patient experience and enhancing that role. INTERPRETATION: the intentional presence of the oncology nurse and the nursing emphasis on culturally appropriate education and care can be seen as key competencies of the navigator. As the concept of the navigation process is expanded to other cancers, oncology nurses are particularly well positioned to advocate for the navigator role as a nursing domain.

Lessons learned from a lateral violence and team-building intervention.

BACKGROUND: Lateral violence is likely to exist in settings characterized by poor leadership and lack of clearly articulated roles, expectations, and processes that guide behavior. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this process improvement project were to (1) identify and improve baseline levels of nurse satisfaction and group cohesion through planned unit-based interventions, (2) determine the effect of a team-building intervention on factors that impact cohesive team functioning, and (3) determine the effect of lateral violence training and communication style differences in improving team cohesion. METHODS: The sample consisted of registered nurses (RNs) from 4 diverse patient care areas, chosen on the basis of low scores on the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) RN-RN interaction subscale. A quasi-experimental pre-post intervention design without a control group was employed. The intervention focused on lateral violence and team building. A qualitative component focused on the impact of the intervention on overall group dynamics and processes. RESULTS: RN scores on the Group Cohesion Scale (P = .037) and the RN-RN interaction scores improved postintervention. Group sessions focused on building trust, identifying and clarifying roles, engaging staff in decision making, role-modeling positive interactions, and holding each other accountable. CONCLUSIONS: Key to a cohesive environment is an effective nurse manager able to drive and sustain change.

Group cohesion and nurse satisfaction: examination of a team-building approach.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a team-building intervention on group cohesion, nurse satisfaction, and turnover rates. BACKGROUND: Creating an environment that supports and retains nurses represents a formidable challenge for nursing leaders. Research related to strategies that positively impact the culture in which nurses practice, thus potentially improving nurse satisfaction and reducing turnover, is critically needed. METHODS: Registered nurses (RNs) employed on inpatient units in a 247-bed, private acute care Magnet teaching hospital participated in this quasi experimental preintervention and postintervention design. The RN-RN interaction subscale from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators Adapted Index of Work Satisfaction, the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators Adapted Index of Job Enjoyment, the Group Cohesion Scale, and a facilitator-developed measure were completed preimplementation and postimplementation of unit-tailored intervention strategies, which took place over a 12-month period. Turnover rates were collected 6 month preintervention and postintervention. RESULTS: Improvement in group cohesion, RN-RN interaction, job enjoyment, and turnover was demonstrated. CONCLUSION: Targeted, unit-based strategies can be an effective means of reducing turnover rates and improving group cohesion and nurse satisfaction.