Oncology nurses' experiences of meeting with men with cancer-related fatigue: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Cancer treatment often causes side effects, among which fatigue is common and can persist for years among disease-free cancer survivors. Living with fatigue can lead to reduced life expectancy and quality of life.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe oncology nurses' experiences of meeting with men with cancer and talking about cancer-related fatigue.

DESIGN AND METHODS: The data were collected via semi-structured interviews with nine oncology nurses recruited using a purposeful sampling method and analysed using thematic content analysis. This qualitative design was conducted to describe and interpret the content of experiences.

ETHICAL ISSUES AND APPROVAL: The study was approved by a regional Ethical Review Board, and research ethical principles were followed.

RESULTS: The analysis revealed one major theme, namely take the whole person into consideration, and three subthemes: the importance of (i) establishing trust in the nurse-patient relationship, (ii) supporting the patient's understanding of cancer-related fatigue, and (iii) managing the challenging emotions experienced by patients. The major theme describes the oncology nurses' approach when meeting with men with cancer-related fatigue.

CONCLUSION: The results provide insight into how oncology nurses can increase their knowledge about fatigue to establish trust in nurse-patient relationships. They can acquire knowledge about how to make men with cancer-related fatigue feel safe when handling their daily lives despite their fatigue. Oncology nurses require knowledge, presence and commitment in their interactions with men with cancer-related fatigue to be able to take the whole person into consideration. This study demonstrates the importance of the approach oncology nurses take when interacting with men with cancer-related fatigue and the strategies required when talking about cancer-related fatigue.