Social skills in the nursing specialty in oncology: qualitative study

Abstract

Objective: to understand the meaning of social skills attributed by specialist nurses in oncology nursing. Method: a qualitative, exploratory study, which applied Grounded Theory and Symbolic Interactionism. The participants were 14 nurses from one of the sample groups, specialists in oncology, from an oncological hospital. We applied semi-structured interviews, online, from May 2021 to December 2022. The analysis followed open, axial, and integration coding, and the coding paradigm. Results: we present the paradigm condition category, given the semantic aspect and recognition of the application of social skills. The category Perceptions and meanings of social skills for oncology nurses was based on the subcategories: reacting to the term, and attributing meanings and values to social skills in the specialty of nursing in oncology. Conclusion: nurses recognize social skills and their importance in oncology. We reinforce the importance of theoretical-practical articulation to qualify the practice in oncology.