Introduction
The quality of medical care results from the timely provision of medical care at the appropriate level and in the proper volume, taking into account the individual needs of the patient and the capabilities and characteristics of institutions. In addition, of course, assessing the level of satisfaction of the population with specific components of medical care and the quality of services provided is a leading factor in the practical solution of health problems.
Palliative care is active, comprehensive care for a patient suffering from an illness that cannot be cured. This is a beneficial help to a person with an incurable, progressive disease: medical professionals select or adjust the pain relief scheme, help get rid of the symptoms of the disease, and provide psychological and legal support. Comfort in a hospice is a part of palliative care as hygiene or pain relief. The positive emotional state of the patient consists of how calm and confident the doctor is, how they treat the patient – whether they are diplomatic and friendly enough, and whether there is an individual approach.
Patients feel calmer if the doctor tells them about the course of the disease, methods of therapy, and side effects, clearly answer questions, gives an example of specific cases, and is ready to be in touch. Therefore, it is necessary to expand nurses’ knowledge, develop methodological recommendations for them on psychological work with cancer patients, and introduce communication programs that would train nurses’ communication skills and abilities.
The Problem of the Study
The problem of the research was explicitly identified in the background section. Patients are often not provided with the information they need to understand their prognosis and make informed treatment choices, resulting in many experiencing less than optimal care and quality of life at the end of life.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-assisted communication support program for patients with advanced incurable cancer to help them discuss prognosis and end-of-life care.
Research Questions
The research did not pose specific questions since the main issue was identified for the study. However, there is a necessity of differentiating several questions:
- How do the patients who lack nurse involvement cope with their prognosis?
- What are the consequences of nurses’ interventions and communication, and how effective might they provide end-of-life care?
Theoretical Framework
The study was based on the principles of end-of-life care, palliative care, oncology treatment concepts, and nurse participation. Even though the theoretical framework was not explicitly mentioned in the research, it was easy to identify the key concepts based on the literature review.
Review of the Literature
The research is rich with the relevant and comprehensive sources used. The majority of the articles used in the study were written within the current decade, which makes it topical to the audience. The review describes how communication skills in healthcare professionals can improve the ethics of interacting with people in a situation of illness, particularly the ability to prevent and resolve conflict situations.
Research Design
The design of a randomized controlled trial in parallel groups was used. The design is utterly appropriate for the research since there was a necessity to compare how two groups reacted to the specific nursing interventions. The study sample involved 110 patients with advanced incurable cancer (Walczak et al., 2017). Therefore, the size is sufficient and relevant to the research design since the whole number of patient can be equally divided into two. The communication program included a question prompt list mentioning communication challenges, patient values, and their concerns (Walczak et al., 2017). After completing the basic measurements, patients were divided into groups. An oncology consultation was recorded on audio, and a follow-up questionnaire was completed a month later.
Communication, health-related indicators of quality of life, and satisfaction were used, and a manual coding scheme for consultations. The researchers used “Descriptive, Mixed Modeling, and Generalized Linear Analysis of Mixed Modeling was performed using SPSS version 22” to evaluate and present the results (Walczak et al., 2017, p. 31). The tools were required indeed to interpret data in a structured manner. However, information regarding validity and reliability was absent in the paper.
Analysis
The analysis is consistent with the purpose and questions posed. The article provides a detailed procedure description stating all the interventions, tools, and measures.
Results
The research results are presented in the tables, including all the relevant textual and quantitative information. Specific sections are textually explained to provide additional data to the audience. In addition, the tables are organized in a visually appealing manner so that it is impossible to confuse the numbers. The results are correspondent with the purpose and reflect the content of the questions posed.
Discussion
The discussion section also specifies some of the results, emphasizes differences, and refers to the concepts of the theoretical framework.
Limitations
This study has a number of limitations that need to be considered when interpreting the results and designing future studies with similar interventions and populations. Data collection was complicated by the deterioration of the sample population (Walczak et al., 2017). In addition, there were logistical and budgetary constraints, and the oncologists involved in the study were loaded with patients, which slowed down the process.
Conclusion
Adding communication skills training for oncologists can be helpful in further practice. Besides, “exploration of the impact of the CSP later in the course of patients’ illness would also be of value” (Walczak et al., 2017, p. 39). Finally, further investigations are suggested to explore the hypotheses that were not supported in this article.
Quality of Evidence
The level of the evidence falls under a category of a randomized control trial which refers to the second level of proof.
Practical Application
The study can be applied in my other nursing practice because there is a demand for professionals with high-quality communication skills. Communicative activities are vital to support patients, especially the terminally ill ones. Additionally, new programs in nursing are beneficial for developing one’s skills and working with different patients. Therefore, this research would be of much importance in the following years of study.
Reference
Walczak, A., Butow, P. N., Tattersall, M. H. N., Davidson, P. M., Young, J., Epstein, R. M., Costa, D., & Clayton, J. M. (2017). Encouraging early discussion of life expectancy and end-of-life care: A randomised controlled trial of a nurse-led communication support program for patients and caregivers. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 67, 31-40. Web.