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Situational awareness in the outpatient encounter between patients with breast cancer or malignant melanoma and healthcare professionals: Patients’ perceptions
Author(s) -
Jørgensen Lone,
Kastrup Jensen Susanne,
Brogaard Bettina
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1111/jocn.15122
Subject(s) - health professionals , situational ethics , health care , breast cancer , medicine , perception , nursing , family medicine , cancer , psychology , social psychology , economics , economic growth , neuroscience
Aims and objectives To explore patients’ experiences of situational awareness in the outpatient encounter when they are informed about the diagnosis of breast cancer or malignant melanoma. Background Patients enter a stressful situation when receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer or malignant melanoma, and research indicates that needs are most prominent at this time. However, healthcare professionals often fail to address these needs adequately. It is unclear how patients experience situational awareness practised to meet their fundamental needs in the encounter when they are informed about the diagnosis of cancer. Design This study used a phenomenological hermeneutical approach. Methods Nine semi‐structured interviews with patients being diagnosed with breast cancer or malignant melanoma were performed. The interpretation theory of Paul Ricoeur guided the analysis. The study is presented in line with the COREQ checklist. Results The analysis resulted in three themes: 1) “Being accompanied” refers to how patients need information to be targeted to them as individuals. 2) “Being seen” points to HCPs’ exploration of the patients’ perspectives to get an understanding of their preferences. 3) “Being taken care of” indicates that patients feel supported if situational awareness is practised by the healthcare professionals. Conclusion Practicing situational awareness in the outpatient encounter is essential to patients’ experience of feeling accommodated or rejected. Patients feel rejected when their fundamental needs are not met while experiencing situational awareness seems to accommodate fundamental needs and pre‐empt an inappropriate patient outcome. Relevance to clinical practice HCPs need to acknowledge the importance of using a structured approach to meeting patients’ fundamental needs in a stressful situation. Each patient is different and may experience different needs in encounters where they are receiving the diagnosis of breast cancer or malignant melanoma. Therefore, treatment and care must be tailored to the individual patient based on a caring relationship.