Tarrant Carolyn, Sinfield Paul, Agarwal Shona, Baker Richard
Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, 2nd Floor, Adrian Building, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2008 Mar 27;8:65. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-8-65.
Specialist nurses may play an important role in helping to improve the experiences of patients with prostate cancer, however there is concern that the specialist nurse role is under threat in the UK due to financial pressures in the NHS. This study explored the role and value of specialist nurses in prostate cancer care via a survey and patient interviews.
This paper reports findings from two studies. A survey of patients from three hospitals across the UK (289/481, 60%), investigated whether patients who saw a specialist nurse had different experiences of information provision and involvement in decision-making, to those who did not. Qualitative interviews were also carried out with 35 men recently tested or treated for prostate cancer, recruited from two hospitals in the UK. Interviews explored patients' views on the role and value of the specialist nurse.
Survey findings indicated that patients who saw a specialist nurse had more positive experiences of receiving written information about tests and treatment, and about sources of advice and support, and were more likely to say they made the treatment decision themselves. In interviews, patients described specialist nurse input in their care in terms of providing information and support immediately post-diagnosis, as well as being involved in ongoing care. Two key aspects of the specialist nurse role were seen as unique: their availability to the patient, and their ability to liaise between the patient and the medical system.
This study indicates the unique role that specialist nurses play in the experience of patients with prostate cancer, and highlights the importance of maintaining specialist nurse roles in prostate cancer care.
专科护士在帮助改善前列腺癌患者的就医体验方面可能发挥重要作用，然而，由于英国国民医疗服务体系（NHS）的财政压力，人们担心专科护士的角色在英国受到威胁。本研究通过一项调查和患者访谈，探讨了专科护士在前列腺癌护理中的作用和价值。
本文报告了两项研究的结果。对英国三家医院的患者进行了一项调查（289/481，60%），调查看过专科护士的患者与未看过专科护士的患者在信息提供和参与决策方面的体验是否不同。还对从英国两家医院招募的35名近期接受前列腺癌检测或治疗的男性进行了定性访谈。访谈探讨了患者对专科护士角色和价值的看法。
调查结果表明，看过专科护士的患者在收到关于检测和治疗以及建议和支持来源的书面信息方面有更积极的体验，并且更有可能表示他们自己做出了治疗决定。在访谈中，患者描述了专科护士在他们的护理中的投入，包括在诊断后立即提供信息和支持，以及参与持续护理。专科护士角色的两个关键方面被视为独特之处：他们对患者的可及性，以及他们在患者和医疗系统之间进行联络的能力。
本研究表明了专科护士在前列腺癌患者就医体验中所发挥的独特作用，并强调了在前列腺癌护理中维持专科护士角色的重要性。
