The Experiences of Nurses Providing Cancer Care at the Oncology Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020. Nurses caring for cancer patients do spend the lengthiest of time with them in the course of their treatment. These nurses by their profession and frequent contacts do bear the terminal weights of the conditions of these patients which has a resultant effect on their emotional and psychological health. This study aimed to explore the impact of adult cancer care on nurses caring for cancer patients. A descriptive qualitative design was used. The population comprised all nurses working at the Oncology Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Participants were purposively selected for the study. A semi-structured interview was used to collect relevant data for the study. The results showed that caring for cancer patients exposes nurses to considerable psychological pressures such as seeing patients suffer, providing care at the end of life, and controlling their own emotional reactions to illness. The study emphasizes how important it is for healthcare institutions to prioritize nurses' psychological well-being and mental health in cancer treatment facilities. Interventions like routine debriefing sessions, counselling services, and peer support programs can be implemented to lessen the psychological impacts.