The nursing profession facing announcement in oncology: place and stakes for the psychological dimension

Summary Aim: This qualitative research which was conducted among nurses (2010), aimed at analyzing the role of the lived experience of the Healthcare Professional’s Caring Time (HPCT) when announcing a cancer in an oncology service; this was in order to understand the importance of the psychological dimension in this process. It was also to examine how nurses’ representations of psychological support can influence the way they consider the appropriate practices (information/orientation) in this context. Methods: Semi-structured interviews (n = 12) were conducted among nurses operating in this process, in a sample of hospitals based in the south of France. A thematic analysis of the interview content was then carried out. Results: Our results high light the fact that nurses appropriated for the process in accordance with the practical knowledge they have acquired by exercising their profession on a daily basis. As part of this consultation, the caring time focuses primarily on the handling of the heavy treatment – then perceived as a traumatic object – which must be associated with meanings. Conclusion: The HPCT’s carrying out is under the influence of the organizational framework, the interactions between professionals within the institution, and the nurses’ perceived roles and functions. The identification of psychological needs is difficult to achieve and would require a multidisciplinary work which is difficult to implement considering the lack of resources allocated to this process. Prat Organ Soins. 2012;43(3):177-185