The landscape of cancer care is evolving and as a result nursing care continues to develop and respond to the changing needs of oncology patients and their families. There is a paucity of qualitative research examining the experience of being an oncology nurse on an inpatient unit. Therefore, a qualitative study using an interpretive phenomenological approach has been undertaken to discover the lived experience of being an oncology nurse. In-depth tape recorded interviews has been conducted with six oncology nurses who worked on two adult inpatient oncology units. Van Manen’s (1990) interpretive phenomenological approach has been used to analyze the data by subjecting the transcripts to an analysis both line by line and as a whole. The overarching theme of the interviews is: Investing to Make a Difference. The themes that reflect this overarching theme are: Caring for the Whole Person, Being an Advocate, Walking a Fine Line, and Feeling Like You are Part of Something Good. Oncology nurses provide care for their patients through a holistic lens that further enhances how they come to know their patients. Over time, relationships with patients and families develop and these nurses share that balancing the emotional aspects of their work is key in being able to continue to invest in their work and in these relationships. Their investment is further evident as oncology nurses continuously update their knowledge, for example, of treatment regimes, medication protocols, and as they champion their patients wishes and needs. As nurses develop their own identities as oncology nurses, they in turn enhance the team with their emerging skill and knowledge. These research findings serve to acknowledge the meaning of oncology nurses’ work and inform the profession’s understanding of what it means to be an oncology nurse.

The landscape of cancer care is evolving and as a result nursing care continues to develop and respond to the changing needs of oncology patients and their families. There is a paucity of qualitative research examining the experience of being an oncology nurse on an inpatient unit. Therefore, a qualitative study using an interpretive phenomenological approach has been undertaken to discover the lived experience of being an oncology nurse. In-depth tape recorded interviews has been conducted with six oncology nurses who worked on two adult inpatient oncology units. Van Manen’s (1990) interpretive phenomenological approach has been used to analyze the data by subjecting the transcripts to an analysis both line by line and as a whole. The overarching theme of the interviews is: Investing to Make a Difference. The themes that reflect this overarching theme are: Caring for the Whole Person, Being an Advocate, Walking a Fine Line, and Feeling Like You are Part of Something Good. Oncology nurses provide care for their patients through a holistic lens that further enhances how they come to know their patients. Over time, relationships with patients and families develop and these nurses share that balancing the emotional aspects of their work is key in being able to continue to invest in their work and in these relationships. Their investment is further evident as oncology nurses continuously update their knowledge, for example, of treatment regimes, medication protocols, and as they champion their patients wishes and needs. As nurses develop their own identities as oncology nurses, they in turn enhance the team with their emerging skill and knowledge. These research findings serve to acknowledge the meaning of oncology nurses’ work and inform the profession’s understanding of what it means to be an oncology nurse.

The landscape of cancer care is evolving and as a result nursing care continues to develop and respond to the changing needs of oncology patients and their families. There is a paucity of qualitative research examining the experience of being an oncology nurse on an inpatient unit. Therefore, a qualitative study using an interpretive phenomenological approach has been undertaken to discover the lived experience of being an oncology nurse. In-depth tape recorded interviews has been conducted with six oncology nurses who worked on two adult inpatient oncology units. Van Manen’s (1990) interpretive phenomenological approach has been used to analyze the data by subjecting the transcripts to an analysis both line by line and as a whole. The overarching theme of the interviews is: Investing to Make a Difference. The themes that reflect this overarching theme are: Caring for the Whole Person, Being an Advocate, Walking a Fine Line, and Feeling Like You are Part of Something Good. Oncology nurses provide care for their patients through a holistic lens that further enhances how they come to know their patients. Over time, relationships with patients and families develop and these nurses share that balancing the emotional aspects of their work is key in being able to continue to invest in their work and in these relationships. Their investment is further evident as oncology nurses continuously update their knowledge, for example, of treatment regimes, medication protocols, and as they champion their patients wishes and needs. As nurses develop their own identities as oncology nurses, they in turn enhance the team with their emerging skill and knowledge. These research findings serve to acknowledge the meaning of oncology nurses’ work and inform the profession’s understanding of what it means to be an oncology nurse.

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L’annonce d’un diagnostic de cancer devrait être considérée par les professionnels de la santé, comme un processus constitué de plusieurs étapes que doit traverser la personne atteinte, plutôt que comme un évènement en soi (Tobin & Begley, 2008). Lors de la période entourant l’annonce du diagnostic, la personne peut être confrontée à des difficultés reliées à la navigation dans un système de santé complexe, en plus des sentiments négatifs engendrés par la crainte de la maladie. Pour soutenir les personnes atteintes de cancer, le programme québécois de lutte contre le cancer (PQLCC), a instauré le rôle de l’infirmière pivot en oncologie (IPO) en 2000. À l’heure actuelle, peu d’études, à notre connaissance, se sont attardées au soutien de l’IPO dans cette période. La présente étude avait pour but, d’explorer les perceptions de personnes atteintes de cancer quant au soutien offert par l’IPO, dans la période entourant l’annonce du diagnostic. L’étudiante-chercheuse s’est inspirée du Cadre de soins de soutien de Fitch (1994) pour entreprendre cette étude qualitative descriptive. Des entrevues individuelles auprès de sept personnes atteintes de différents cancers ont été réalisées. L’analyse de données a été effectuée à l’aide de la méthode de Miles et Huberman (2003), par la transcription intégrale des entrevues. Elle a permis d’identifier trois thèmes soit : le soutien formel requis pour faire face au chaos, le soutien informationnel et émotionnel à parfaire et le soutien disponible apportant sécurité et assurance. Les résultats ont mis en évidence les perceptions de personnes atteintes de cancer quant au soutien offert par l’IPO soit la nécessité de rendre accessible les soins et services de l’IPO plus tôt dans la période entourant l’annonce du diagnostic. Les personnes atteintes de cancer ont besoin d’être aidées à faire face aux difficultés rencontrées lors de cette période, notamment à l’incertitude reliée aux résultats d’examens diagnostics, à l’incompréhension des informations reçues et aux sentiments négatifs engendrés par la menace de la maladie. Les résultats évoquent le souhait des participants, à l’effet que, l’offre de soutien de l’IPO, soit axée sur leurs besoins essentiellement dans les domaines informationnel et émotionnel. Ils auraient souhaité pouvoir, partager leur expérience avec l’IPO, mieux comprendre le diagnostic de cancer et savoir davantage à quoi s’attendre lors du début des traitements. Par ailleurs, savoir que le soutien de l’IPO est disponible apporte aux personnes atteintes de cancer une assurance et une confiance en leur capacité à faire face aux traitements et leur apporte un sentiment de sécurité. / The announcement of a diagnosis of cancer should be considered by health professionals, a composed process of several steps that must pass through the person, rather than as an event in itself (Tobin & Begley, 2008). During the period surrounding the announcement of the diagnosis, the person may be faced with difficulties related to navigation in a complex health system, in addition to the negative feelings engendered by the fear of disease. To support people with cancer, the PQLC (French acronym of the Quebec Cancer Control Program) has established the oncology nurse navigator (ONN) role in 2000. At the present time, few studies, to our knowlecdge, are both in support of the ONN in this period. This study was designed, to explore the perceptions of people with cancer as regards the support offered by the ONN, in the period surrounding the announcement of the diagnosis. The student-researcher is inspired by the framework of Fitch supportive care (1994) to undertake this descriptive qualitative study. Individual interviews with seven people with different types of cancer were performed. Data analysis was performed using the method of Miles and Huberman (2003), by the full transcripts of the interviews. It has identified three themes is: formal support required to deal with the chaos, the informational and emotional to perfect and available support bringing security and insurance. The results highlighted the perceptions of people with cancer as regards the support offered by ONN or the need for accessible health care and services of the ONN earlier in the period surrounding the announcement of the diagnosis. People with cancer need to be helped to cope with the difficulties encountered during this period, including uncertainty about the results of diagnostic tests, to the bemusement of the information received and the negative feelings engendered by the threat of the disease. The results suggest the wish of the participants, to the effect that, the offer of support from the ONN, focuses on their needs mainly in both informational and emotional. They would have liked to be able to share their experience with the IPO, better understand the diagnosis of cancer and know more what to expect at the beginning of treatment. On the other hand, know that the support of the ONN is available brings to people with cancer insurance and a confidence in their ability to cope with treatment and brings them a sense of security.