How do nurses experience and interpret the screening of hospitalised cancer patients by means of the distress thermometer?-A qualitative study

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Abstract

Background: People with cancer experience distress and may need professional support. In 2012, the University Hospital Zurich introduced its distress thermometer (DT) screening, whereby all inpatients were to be screened to gauge their support need. However, after five years, the screening rate was 40 % and the referral rate to psycho oncology was 7.9 %, surprisingly low. Aim: The aim of this qualitative study was to describe how nurses experience the screening and how they interpret the screening and referral rate. Methods: The evaluation of three focus group interviews with 14 nurses followed the principles of qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. Results: The analysis revealed four main categories. The first category "Trying to perform useful screening in a complex daily routine"comprises three subcategories: "Using the benefits of screening for comprehensive care", "The best way to recognize the individuality of the counterpart"and "Failing due to structural and personal barriers". Three further main categories addressing nurses' personal attitudes complete the screening experience: "Experiencing fewer difficulties due to competence and experience", "Being careful due to hesitations", and "Reflecting one's responsibility". Conclusions: Nurses want to use the DT. However, they need more practical and scientific support to usefully integrate screening into their everyday life.

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Götz, A., Kröner, A., Jenewein, J., & Spirig, R. (2021). How do nurses experience and interpret the screening of hospitalised cancer patients by means of the distress thermometer?-A qualitative study. Pflege, 34(2), 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1024/1012-5302/a000790

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