TY - JOUR

T1 - Labeled as lucky

T2 - contradictions between what women and healthcare professionals experience regarding the need for help after the early stages of gynecological cancer

AU - Thisted, Lise Bjerrum

AU - Zoffmann, Vibeke

AU - Olesen, Mette Linnet

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Purpose To explore how participants perceived a nurse-led, person-centered intervention, Guided Self-Determination Gynecological Cancer (GSD-GYN-C) and how participants felt it influenced the challenges they faced and their rehabilitation after gynecological cancer surgery. Methods Participants were invited from a previously conducted randomized trial where GSD-GYN-C improved physical quality of life in the intervention group. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Three central themes were identified: (1) "labeled as the lucky ones," which describes a contrast between the women's perceived problems and the healthcare professionals' tendency to stress their luck in being treated early and cured with no particular problems in sight, leading to an unintended delay in their rehabilitation process; (2) "personal reflections pave the way for change," which shows how new problem-solving skills were mobilized when reflection sheets and dialogue on GSD-GYN-C provided new insight into their situation and the feeling of being taken seriously; and (3) "emerging relational competence," which describes the new skills the women developed in interacting with family, friends, colleagues, and healthcare professionals. Conclusions As a supplement to usual care, GSD-GYN-C remedied a tendency among healthcare professionals to underestimate problems in the early stages of gynecological cancer, and GSD-GYN-C involved the women in their rehabilitation process characterized by active problem-solving in relationships with other people.

AB - Purpose To explore how participants perceived a nurse-led, person-centered intervention, Guided Self-Determination Gynecological Cancer (GSD-GYN-C) and how participants felt it influenced the challenges they faced and their rehabilitation after gynecological cancer surgery. Methods Participants were invited from a previously conducted randomized trial where GSD-GYN-C improved physical quality of life in the intervention group. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Three central themes were identified: (1) "labeled as the lucky ones," which describes a contrast between the women's perceived problems and the healthcare professionals' tendency to stress their luck in being treated early and cured with no particular problems in sight, leading to an unintended delay in their rehabilitation process; (2) "personal reflections pave the way for change," which shows how new problem-solving skills were mobilized when reflection sheets and dialogue on GSD-GYN-C provided new insight into their situation and the feeling of being taken seriously; and (3) "emerging relational competence," which describes the new skills the women developed in interacting with family, friends, colleagues, and healthcare professionals. Conclusions As a supplement to usual care, GSD-GYN-C remedied a tendency among healthcare professionals to underestimate problems in the early stages of gynecological cancer, and GSD-GYN-C involved the women in their rehabilitation process characterized by active problem-solving in relationships with other people.

KW - Gynecological cancer

KW - Rehabilitation

KW - Nurse-led intervention

KW - Guided self-determination

KW - Empowerment

KW - Self-management

KW - ASSISTED LAPAROSCOPIC HYSTERECTOMY

KW - QUALITY-OF-LIFE

KW - ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

KW - PSYCHOSOCIAL NEEDS

KW - SUPPORTIVE CARE

KW - FOLLOW-UP

KW - SURVIVORS

U2 - 10.1007/s00520-019-04882-2

DO - 10.1007/s00520-019-04882-2

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31175436

VL - 28

SP - 907

EP - 916

JO - Supportive Care in Cancer

JF - Supportive Care in Cancer

SN - 0941-4355

IS - 2

ER -