These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Self-determination and information seeking in end-stage cancer.
    Author: Zanchetta MS, Moura SL.
    Journal: Clin J Oncol Nurs; 2006 Dec; 10(6):803-7. PubMed ID: 17193946.
    Abstract:
    When patients learn that their cancer has recurred after primary treatments or is no longer responding to therapy and no alternative treatment options exist, their motivation to carry on living may be impacted greatly. Using the Self-Determination Theory, this article's reflective analysis explores the unique situation of a woman with end-stage cancer and her continuous motivation to seek information about her illness. Information was gathered during clinical observations and informal conversations. The analysis showed how the patient sought information about her illness, how she manifested motivation, and how the hospital's social environment influenced her behavior. To understand the experience of being confronted with a terminal illness, the following issues are identified: expansion of awareness, life-facing knowledge contradictions, being open-minded and an active explorer of information sources, medical truth, and professional attitudes toward patients' informational needs. Nurses must understand patients' reasons for self-determination when facing illness uncertainty. Reflecting on such situations will strengthen nursing practice.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]