his study examined the effects of an oncofertility education program on decisional conflict in nurses caring for breast cancer patients and patients with breast cancer. Other predictors of decisional conflict were also examined.
Background: Nurses play an essential role in transferring knowledge to patients. However, several factors cause nurses to adopt a negative attitude toward providing oncofertility care. Objective: This study examined the effects of an oncofertility education program on decisional conflict in nurses caring for breast cancer patients and patients with breast cancer. Other predictors of decisional conflict were also examined. Design: Randomized, controlled experimental research. Settings and Participants: Patients (61) with breast cancer and nurses (79) were recruited from a hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. Methods: The nursing participants were randomly assigned to receive oncofertility education (experimental group) or usual education (control group). Data from female patients in the control and experimental groups were collected before and after the nurses' educational training, respectively. The oncofertility education consisted of one face-to-face educational session and reading one educational booklet based on the Naturalistic Decision-Making (NDM) Model. The decisional conflict was measured using the Chinese version of the decisional conflict scale.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
140
We designed the education program according to Klein's NDM model, which explored the reasoning mechanism behind decision-making (Klein, 1993). It depends on the on-the-job training date in each unit. The education program consisted of the following: (1) Information accumulation: explanations of common cancer therapies related to subsequent infertility, psychological and mental change in cancer survivors with infertility, the necessity and method of early determination of fertility intention, and type of fertility preservation. (2) Sense-making: situational case sharing, emphasis on the guidance interaction between experienced and novice nurses to understand the patient's situation. (3) Decision-making: how to provide support, how to correspond, and attitudes toward people with strong fertility intention.
Department of Nursing
New Taipei City, Taiwan
Decisional conflict
The decisional conflict was measured using the Chinese version of the decisional conflict scale. Each item was rated on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from zero to 4. The score was calculated by averaging the sum of individual item scores, then multiplying the product by 25. Hence, the scores range from 0 to 100. A higher score indicates higher decisional conflict. Both nursing and patient participants were asked to fill out the questionnaire.
Time frame: Nurses: 1 month; Patients: 6 months
Oncofertility Barrier Scale
An Oncofertility Barrier Scale was developed to assess nurses' perceptions of comprehensive barriers regarding oncofertility care. The responses to each item were provided using a five-point Likert scale. A higher scale score meant the nurses perceived that it was more difficult to provide oncofertility care.
Time frame: Nurses: 1 month
Infertility Knowledge Questionnaire
We used the Infertility Knowledge Questionnaire to measure both of nurses' and patients' knowledge of infertility in patients with breast cancer. Total scores for the 11 items ranged from zero to 11. Centimeters were used to show the ratio of correct answers visually. A higher score meant a greater level of knowledge about infertility. Both nursing and patient participants were asked to fill out the questionnaire.
Time frame: Nurses: 1 month; Patients: 6 months
Fertility Intention Scale
The Fertility Intention Scale with 15 items was used to measure patients' fertility intentions. The standardized scale ranged from 1 to 5 points on a five-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicated a greater degree of fertility intention.
Time frame: Patients: 6 months
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