Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
were very aware of the potential to overburden patients by inviting
them to participate in this study. This may account for the low ratio
of males to females and this made it difficult to discuss comparisons
between the genders on many issues. The design of the study
ensured that all patients in the treatment arm were supported at
each of their treatments by the research nursing team whereas the
patients in the control group were dependent on the chemotherapy
nurses for support, which appeared to be limited at times. This may
have caused some bias in the results. The data collection for the
patients in the control group was difficult on occasions because
patients often forgot to give the completed questionnaires to the
chemotherapy nurses. This then involved the nursing research team
spending a lot of time chasing up the questionnaires.
There were occasions when I found it difficult to separate my roles
as an oncology nurse supporting patients through their
chemotherapy and as a researcher. Within interpretative research,
there is an appreciation that the research participants, the research
field and the researcher are involved in an interactive, dynamic
process whereby each affects the others. This dynamic interplay
within social settings is known as reflexivity (Oliver 2004). Although
I conducted all of the interviews with the patients, which on
reflection may not have been ideal, I was very aware of the possible
effect I may have had on their responses. To help combat this,
before and during the interviews, I endeavoured to maintain a high
level of critical self-awareness and constantly reminded myself of
the effect my identity and any preconceptions I had about the
issues being investigated could have on the patients’ responses.
However, having recruited, assessed and supported most of the
patients that were interviewed, my role as a nurse-researcher is
likely to have contributed to some bias in the results.
Although the qualitative data expanded on the quantitative findings,
the semi-structured nature of the interview schedule focused on the
DDCs, which did not allow for much time in exploring other patient
issues in depth. The sample size of patients interviewed was small
and perhaps if more patients had been interviewed there may have
been a greater range of symptoms and issues reported by them.
Conclusions
In spite of the study limitations, the patients provided a valuable
insight into their strategies for coping with chemotherapy and how
the side-effects of chemotherapy affected them both physically and
psychologically. The aim of this study was to explore the
psychological effects on patients of completing daily diary cards and
to test the hypothesis that completing a DDC causes a conditioned
response to treatment. The patterns of nausea and vomiting and
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