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Author on Call

The function of the “Author on Call” blog is to allow our readers and authors to interact with each other in a unique way. A few select authors will be chosen to share on the blog aspects of their papers that were especially meaningful to them personally or points that may not have made it into their published report. Readers will then have the opportunity to provide comments and questions, to which the authors will respond.

At times, as seen in our first entry, we will also post separate entries to the blog on various special topics that we feel would be informational or that we welcome your feedback on.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Interrelatedness of Distress Among Chinese-Speaking Patients and Family Caregivers

Interrelatedness of Distress Among Chinese-Speaking Patients and Family Caregivers

Lee, Joyce W.K., PhD; Gotay, Carolyn, PhD; Sawatzky, Richard, PhD, RN; Kazanjian, Arminée, DrSoc

"My paper examines the interrelatedness of patients' and family caregivers' distress through interviews with a group of Chinese-speaking patients and family caregivers in British Columbia, Canada. Having had experience with cancer in my family over the past five years, this topic is of particular relevance and importance to my research endeavour. In my role as a daughter and a sister, I encountered first-hand the distress of living with cancer in the family, where the cultural beliefs and values regarding illness and help-seeking have served as facilitators as well as barriers in coping with the disease. At the same time, my family also experienced the positives of cancer, of personal growth and closer family relationships. The impact of cancer on the family is multi-faceted, and it is through ongoing research that we glean insights into such complexities. I am grateful for the many lessons I have drawn from my family's and the larger community's experience with cancer. The work in this paper is just the beginning of my endeavour, joining hands with patients, families and health professionals to expand our understanding of the cultural and social context of ill persons and family members, towards the end goal of upholding patient- and family-centred care."

--Corresponding author Dr. Joyce Lee on her paper, "Interrelatedness of Distress Among Chinese-Speaking Patients and Family Caregivers" currently published online ahead-of-print on the CANCER NURSING Web site.  The full article may be viewed here with a subscription.

Monday, September 17, 2018

A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies Exploring Men's Sense of Masculinity Post–Prostate Cancer Treatment

A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies Exploring Men's Sense of Masculinity Post–Prostate Cancer Treatment

Alexis, Obrey, PhD, MSc, BSc, RN; Worsley, Aaron James, BA

"Treatment for prostate cancer has mostly focused on preventing the disease. Our meta-synthesis has delved into the psychological and sexual impact wrought on men after they have been treated. By synthesising data across a number of qualitative studies, the findings in this article will add to the body of knowledge about how men conceptualize their masculine identities post prostate cancer treatment. The study can aid in developing strategies and interventions tailored to meet men's needs.

This study has certainly been an eye-opening and revealing insight into masculinity and the mental anguish that can befall those who don't fit into the narrow definition. We were able to discern the psychological, physical, and sexual impact as a consequence of treatment, and how this linked to cultural norms that depict how men are expected to behave. Not only does this shine a light on the holistic needs of men recovering from prostate cancer, but it further reveals how patriarchal masculine values are damaging for the mental state of all men.

Our current research is investigating the postoperative effects of prostate cancer treatment on gay and bisexual men, an area that has received little attention."

--Mr. Worsley on his paper, "A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies Exploring Men's Sense of Masculinity Post–Prostate Cancer Treatment," published in CANCER NURSING Volume 41, Issue 4. The article may be viewed below without a subscription.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL THEME ISSUE: Evidence Syntheses

CANCER NURSING: An International Journal for Cancer Care will feature a theme for its entire May/June 2020 issue (Volume 43, Issue 3).  This issue focuses on evidence syntheses, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, qualitative meta-syntheses, and aligned methods addressing topics of relevance to cancer nursing.

 

Explicit methodological detail including search and retrieval of studies, validation of findings (e.g., meta-analysis) or interpretation of findings (e.g., meta-synthesis) is essential.  Evidence syntheses may seek to advance the science of cancer nursing by, for example, synthesizing a substantial body of literature; highlighting key issues and setting important new agendas in research, policy and practice relating to cancer nursing; or advancing evidence synthesis methods in cancer nursing.  The editors also welcome papers describing or detailing methodological innovations in evidence synthesis relevant to, or as applied to, cancer nursing.

 

Authors from all disciplines are warmly welcomed to submit manuscripts that fit the scope of this theme issue no later than May 30, 2019. The cover letter for the manuscript must indicate submission for the Evidence Syntheses Theme Issue. Please follow the journal’s formatting guidelines found at http://edmgr.ovid.com/cn/accounts/ifauth.htm in preparing the manuscript.

 

Our special guest editors for this theme issue are:

 

Sarah H. Kagan, PhD, RN

G. J. Melendez-Torres, DPhil, RN

R.K. Elswick, Jr., PhD, NREMT-B

 

Please contact the Editorial Office (cancernursingeditor@gmail.com) with questions. 

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Self-management by Adolescents and Young Adults After a Stem Cell Transplant

Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Self-management by Adolescents and Young Adults After a Stem Cell Transplant

Morrison, Caroline F., PhD, RN; Martsolf, Donna, PhD, RN, FAAN; Borich, Annamarie, MSN, RN; Coleman, Kristen, BSN, RN; Ramirez, Patricia, BSN, RN; Wehrkamp, Nicole, BSN, RN; Tehan, Rebecca, BA; Woebkenberg, Katherine, BS; Pai, Ahna L.H., PhD

"First, I just want to thank all the patients and families who shared their stories so openly and honestly; I am honored. Before completing this study I worked for 10 years as an inpatient bedside nurse on a pediatric stem cell transplant unit.  I think the thing that surprised me the most about this study was how many stories were new to me. Working in the inpatient setting I had heard many diagnosis stories and what it was like being hospitalized. Many of the experiences families shared through this study added more depth and background then extended into their outpatient stay and survivorship.  The families also seemed to go through cycles throughout the treatment process both physically and psychologically.

              This study also highlighted for me the impact symptoms had on patients' abilities to manage their care. The symptoms patients talked about most were fatigue, weakness, disrupted sleep, pain, distress, anxiety and depression. Our work is building off these qualitative data that symptoms can have a negative impact on self-management. Currently, we are investigating biobehavioral predictors of symptom development during treatment and into survivorship. We look forward to sharing our results with the oncology community."

---Dr. Caroline Morrison on her paper,"Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Self-management by Adolescents and Young Adults After a Stem Cell Transplant," published in our current issue, Volume 41, Issue 5.  The article may be accessed without a membership for a limited time.

Monday, June 4, 2018

Cervical Cancer Screening in Women With Severe Mental Disorders: An Approach to the Spanish Context

Cervical Cancer Screening in Women With Severe Mental Disorders: An Approach to the Spanish Context

Borrull-Guardeño, Jessica, RN; Domínguez, Alberto, MD; Merizalde-Torres, Milton, H., MD; Sánchez-Martínez, Vanessa, PhD, RN

"The motivation to do this study arises from the multidisciplinary quality of the first author, Jessica Borrull-Guardeño. Being a Midwife and also a Mental health nurse working at an acute psychiatric care unit, she was concerned by the lack of knowledge about the gynecological health of women with severe mental disorders.

People with severe mental disorders are known to have a shorter life expectancy, mainly attributed to cardiovascular disease and cancer. The mortality rates by cancer are higher in people with severe mental disorders compared to the general population. On the other hand, about gynecological health, the efficacy of secondary prevention of cervical cancer is well documented. At the moment, only an opportunistic screening is carried out in Spain and this could lead to lower screening rates in women with severe mental disorders. This motivated Jessica Borrull-Guardeño to develop a search, but she found no studies carried out in our context. That is why she considered that an approach to the situation through a cross-sectional study in the Spanish context was considered necessary and she created a work team.

The study was developed with women who were admitted to the acute psychiatric care unit and it was astonishing to find out that the proportion of women with severe mental disorders who had had a cervical cancer screening was much lower than the general population. In fact, this finding led us to the need to develop other confirmatory studies in different care settings and to an experimental study in this field."


---Dr. Sánchez-Martínez on her paper,"Cervical Cancer Screening in Women With Severe Mental Disorders: An Approach to the Spanish Context," currently published online ahead-of-print on the CANCER NURSING Web site.  The full article may be viewed here with a subscription.