Nurses’ Perception toward Management of Nausea among Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Qualitative Study
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Objective: The adverse effects of chemotherapy, specifically nausea and vomiting, constitute some of the most debilitating and distressing complications encountered by patients undergoing chemotherapy . Nausea is identified as the most common and distressing symptom correlated with chemotherapy, profoundly influencing the quality of life of individuals engaged in cancer treatment. This study aims to determine nurses' perceptions of the management of nausea among patients receiving chemotherapy.
Methods and Materials: The study design was a descriptive, qualitative research design. The study was conducted on (n=15) nurses working in the oncology department at three hospitals in Iraq. The semi-structured interviews were used to collect data in two parts: the first included demographic characteristics; the second included 15 open-ended questions.
Findings: Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze data. Three major themes emerged: perception of nurses about nausea among Cancer patients who receive chemotherapy; perception of nurses about the causes of nausea among patients who receive chemotherapy; and perception of nurses about measures used to manage nausea among cancer patients who receive chemotherapy.
Conclusion: All participants in the study clarified the measures used to manage nausea, including medications, dietary changes, adjusting patient positions, communication with the doctor, psychological support, and environmental factors. These played an effective role in reducing nausea in cancer patients during chemotherapy.
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