The 1997 Schering Lecture. Quality of life in oncology: nurses' perceptions, values and behaviours.

Quality of life is an important dimension of cancer care. Yet, within our current environment of fiscal restraint, restructuring and cancer care system reform, pressures exist which may make it difficult to provide care which attends to issues of quality of life. Oncology nurses are key providers of cancer care and their perspectives on quality of life for cancer patients are very important. In addition, much of the satisfaction oncology nurses experience in their practice emerges from matters related to attending to quality of life issues. Are oncology nurses currently able to incorporate quality of life issues into their daily care of patients? How are they doing so? The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify major themes and dimensions of nurses' perceptions and values related to quality of life and create a profile of the oncology nurse's role in integrating quality of life in nursing practice. A total of 25 oncology nurses in regional cancer centres across Ontario were interviewed. Each semistructured interview was taperecorded and transcribed. Analysis was completed to identify the major themes and dimensions. This presentation will report the findings from the study and will focus on understanding the existing values oncology nurses hold surrounding quality of life, how quality of life is conceptualized, and the patterns of practice and decision-making regarding quality of life.