Zahedi Hamideh, Sahebihagh Mohammad Hasan, Mirghafourvand Mojgan, Hosseinzadeh Mina
Department of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 7;15(1):24287. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-09198-2.
In recent years, the approach to caring for patients with breast cancer has evolved significantly, moving towards more outpatient and family-centered models. Despite this positive shift, family caregivers often find it challenging to embrace their new roles. Many are actively seeking ways to prepare themselves for the responsibilities that come with caregiving. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explore and describe the experiences of family caregivers of patients with breast cancer regarding their readiness for caregiving and the facilitating factors associated with it. This qualitative study was conducted with 11 participants who were purposefully selected from among the family caregivers of breast cancer patients visiting selected oncology centers in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured individual interviews using an interview guide. Content analysis with a conventional approach was employed for data analysis. From the content analysis of the interviews with family caregivers, 216 codes, 20 sub-themes, and 5 main themes were extracted: "self-enhancement of knowledge", "self-soothing", "gradual enhancement of competence", "the role of healthcare personnel in empowering family caregivers" and "support and empathy as the pillars of care for patients with cancer". The results of the present study indicate the efforts of family caregivers to enhance their capabilities and readiness in caring for patients with breast cancer. The findings suggest that caregivers have employed strategies to accept this new responsibility and improve their competence in patient care, while the role of healthcare personnel in their preparation is not particularly prominent. The results of this study can serve as a basis for designing strategic programs in the country's healthcare systems and can help enhance the capabilities of family caregivers in providing quality care to patients.
近年来，乳腺癌患者的护理方式发生了显著变化，朝着更多门诊和以家庭为中心的模式发展。尽管有这种积极转变，但家庭护理人员往往发现难以接受他们的新角色。许多人积极寻求方法，为护理工作带来的责任做好准备。因此，本研究旨在探索和描述乳腺癌患者家庭护理人员在护理准备方面的经历以及与之相关的促进因素。这项定性研究是对11名参与者进行的，他们是从伊朗大不里士选定的肿瘤中心就诊的乳腺癌患者的家庭护理人员中特意挑选出来的。通过使用访谈指南进行深入的半结构化个人访谈来收集数据。采用传统方法进行内容分析以进行数据分析。从对家庭护理人员访谈的内容分析中，提取了216个代码、20个次主题和5个主要主题：“知识自我提升”、“自我安抚”、“能力逐步增强”、“医护人员在增强家庭护理人员能力方面的作用”以及“支持和同理心是癌症患者护理的支柱”。本研究结果表明，家庭护理人员在增强照顾乳腺癌患者的能力和准备方面所做的努力。研究结果表明，护理人员采用了策略来接受这一新责任并提高其在患者护理方面的能力，而医护人员在他们的准备过程中的作用并不特别突出。本研究结果可作为该国医疗系统设计战略项目的基础，并有助于提高家庭护理人员为患者提供优质护理的能力。
