Oncology nurses' attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of quality-of-life assessment in patients with cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of the current attitudes and perceptions of oncology nurses regarding the relevance and measurability of quality of life (QOL) in patients with cancer.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Exploratory survey conducted at a scientific exhibit of QOL instruments at the 1990 Oncology Nursing Society Congress held in Washington, DC.

SAMPLE

Convenience sample of 621 nurses visiting the exhibit.

METHODS

Subjects completed two questionnaires addressing opinions regarding the impact of treatment on QOL, the importance of QOL as an outcome measure, the current status of QOL assessment, barriers to measuring QOL, and knowledge about QOL measurement tissues.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Results of answers to questionnaire items overall as well as selected demographic variables.

FINDINGS

Chemotherapy was thought to have the greatest negative impact on QOL, and vomiting, nausea, and tiredness were judged to be the side effects of treatment that most commonly affected QOL. QOL was judged as important an outcome measure as tumor response, toxicity, and survival. Generally, nurses were knowledgeable regarding QOL measurement issues; however, many of the respondents indicated that they believed valid QOL instruments did not exist or that QOL could not be objectively quantified.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses value QOL as an outcome measure of cancer treatment but lack knowledge regarding its measurability, particularly with respect to reliable tools and available time to assess it well.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Nurses can be instrumental in incorporating QOL measurement as an outcome of treatment and development of brief self-administered tools. Commentary on this research and author response is included at the conclusion of the article.