Bridarolli Abigail, Spiers Jude, Pituskin Edith
BScN Honors Student.
Associate Professor, Coordinator, BScN Honors Program.
Can Oncol Nurs J. 2020 Jan 1;30(1):38-42. doi: 10.5737/236880763013842. eCollection 2020 Winter.
The "ringing of the bell" (RTB) ritual upon the completion of cancer treatment is a common tradition in many centres. There is a paucity of research investigating the impact of this experience on the cancer patient and their caregivers exiting treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify key concepts within the experiences of cancer patients and their caregivers related to the ritual of RTB. An interpretive description (ID) approach was used including open-ended interviews with two cancer patients and their two caregivers. All four participants perceived the experience of RTB as being a positive aspect in the transition out of active cancer treatment. Moreover, RTB created a sense of community and was an important milestone that was symbolic of returning back to "normal life" after cancer treatment. Future work should examine the effects of rituals such as ringing the bell among diverse patient populations and across the cancer transition continuum.
癌症治疗结束时的“敲钟”（RTB）仪式在许多中心都是一项常见的传统。目前缺乏研究来调查这种经历对结束治疗的癌症患者及其护理人员的影响。本研究的目的是确定癌症患者及其护理人员与RTB仪式相关经历中的关键概念。采用了解释性描述（ID）方法，包括对两名癌症患者及其两名护理人员进行开放式访谈。所有四名参与者都认为RTB经历是从积极的癌症治疗过渡过程中的一个积极方面。此外，RTB营造了一种社区感，是一个重要的里程碑，象征着癌症治疗后回归“正常生活”。未来的工作应该研究诸如敲钟等仪式在不同患者群体以及整个癌症过渡连续过程中的影响。
