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Nurses’ communication difficulties when providing end-of-life care in the oncology setting: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Purpose

To (1) examine the communication difficulties nurses experience when providing end-of-life (EOL) care, (2) establish the correlation between communication difficulties across various stakeholders and (3) determine the impact sociodemographic factors has on the communication difficulties experienced.

Methods

124/178 (69.7%) nurses from oncology wards of a tertiary hospital were recruited. Sociodemographic survey and three validated subscales: Communication with Patient and Family (CPF), Explanation to Family (EF) and Reassessment of Current Treatment and Nursing Care (RCTNC) were used to collect the data. Data were analysed with Independent Samples T test, One-Way Analysis of Variance and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Results

Mean score was highest for CPF (8.75 ± 2.24) and lowest for RCTNC (6.32 ± 2.26). Positive correlations were found between CPF with EF (r = 0.613, p < 0.001), CPF with RCTNC (r = 0.243, p = 0.007) and EF with RCTNC (r = 0.370, p < 0.001). Age (p = 0.048), years of experience (p = 0.001), religion (p = 0.034) and EOL care training received (p = 0.040) were significant factors for CPF subscale while age (p = 0.011), years of experience (p = 0.001), educational qualification (p = 0.003) and EOL care training received (p = 0.026) were the significant factors for EF subscale.

Conclusion

Nurses experienced more communication difficulties with patients and families than with the healthcare team. When nurses experience communication difficulties with the healthcare team, they also tend to experience communication difficulties with patients and families and when providing explanations to families. Nurses experienced greater communication difficulties when they are younger, are non-graduates, have less years of experience, adopted a religion or did not receive training in EOL care.

Trial registration

Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: 2019/00680 (Domain Specific Review Board)

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to all the unit managers and staff for their support of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119074, Singapore

    Shao Wei Toh, Valerie Tantiana Hollen, Elaine Ang & Yee Mei Lee

  2. Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD 11,10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore

    M. Kamala Devi

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  1. Shao Wei Toh
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  2. Valerie Tantiana Hollen
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  3. Elaine Ang
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Correspondence to Shao Wei Toh.

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Toh, S.W., Hollen, V.T., Ang, E. et al. Nurses’ communication difficulties when providing end-of-life care in the oncology setting: a cross-sectional study. Support Care Cancer 29, 2787–2794 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05787-1

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