Nurses' Perceptions Regarding Their Communication with Adolescents with Cancer

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20435/pssa.v16i1.2655

Keywords:

oncology nursing, hospitalized adolescent, oncology, communication, pediatric nursing

Abstract

Introduction: effective communication with the nursing team contributes to reducing the suffering of hospitalized adolescents with cancer. Therefore, the aim is to analyze the perceptions of nurses working in pediatric oncology regarding their communication with adolescents with cancer. Method: this is an exploratory qualitative study involving eight nurses working in pediatric oncology in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Data collection took place between June 2021 and January 2022, and the analysis of transcribed interviews was conducted through thematic analysis. Results: two themes were identified. In “Different approaches to communication”, the strategies used to establish rapport with adolescents are demonstrated, including humor and discipline. In the theme “Proximity to death”, the nurses' difficulty in dealing with end-of-life issues is highlighted, representing a barrier to communication. Discussion: nurses' communication is filled with techniques to strengthen bonds. However, communicating with adolescents with cancer is overshadowed by the perception of death, hindering their emotional availability to provide necessary emotional support. Conclusion: the difficulty these professionals face in confronting death represents a barrier to communication, necessitating preparedness in undergraduate education to work with this issue.

Author Biographies

Fernanda Cirne Lima Weston, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul

Doutoranda em Psicologia na Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Mestrado em Psicologia pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Especialização em Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e Aprendizagem pela PUCRS. Especialização em Cuidados Paliativos e Terapia de Dor pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUCMINAS). Bacharelado em Enfermagem pela Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA).

Leonardo Möller Pedroso de Souza, Faculdade de Desenvolvimento do Rio Grande do Sul

Graduando em Psicologia na Faculdade de Desenvolvimento do Rio Grande do Sul (FADERGS). Bolsista de Iniciação Científica pela Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS), vinculado à Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS).

Danielle Paz dos Santos, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde do Rio Grande do Sul

Graduanda em Enfermagem na Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA).

Dan Roger Pozza, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul

Doutorando em Psicologia na Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Mestre e graduado em Psicologia pela PUCRS.

Irani Iracema de Lima Argimon, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul

Pós-Doutorado em Psicologia pela Universidade Católica de Valença (UCV). Doutora em Psicologia pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Mestre em Educação, especialista em Toxicologia Aplicada, e graduada em Psicologia pela PUCRS. Professora titular da PUCRS. Bolsista de Produtividade 1C pelo Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

Ana Ana Cristina Garcia Dias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Doutora em Psicologia Escolar e do Desenvolvimento pela Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Mestre em Psicologia do Desenvolvimento pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Especialista em Psicologia Cognitivo-Comportamental pela WP Centro de Psicoterapia Cognitivo-Comportamental (WP), e em Ativação e Processos de Mudança na Formação Superior pela Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ). Licenciada em Psicologia pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Professora na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Grande do Sul (UFRGS).

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Published

2025-01-24

How to Cite

Weston, F. C. L. ., Souza, L. . M. P. de ., Santos, D. P. dos ., Pozza, D. R., Argimon, I. I. de L. ., & Dias, A. A. C. G. (2025). Nurses’ Perceptions Regarding Their Communication with Adolescents with Cancer. Revista Psicologia E Saúde, 16(2), e16382655. https://doi.org/10.20435/pssa.v16i1.2655

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v. 16, jan./dez. 2024

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