A Qualitative Study To Assess The Lived Experience Of Cancer Patients And Their Family Members In A View To Develop A Palliative Care Guideline For The Nursing Personnel At Selected Hospital, North India

Abstract

This paper talks about the the lived experience of cancer patients and their family members in a view to develop a palliative care guideline for the nursing personnel at selected hospital, North India. The objectives for the study was to elicit the lived experience of cancer patients, to elicit the lived experience of family members of cancer patients. To identify the needs of cancer patients and family members for developing a palliative care guideline for the nursing personnel. The study results shows that The patient experienced lack of control during this period which is described as an experience of existential changes. The essence of the phenomenon, experience of living with cancer, was to regain a control over the existential changes i.e. the present situation and one‘s own body. This period was described as an irrevocable time that people had to manage and get through. The essence of the phenomenon emerged from ten descriptive themes. The ten themes emerged from the data of the cancer patients and the 6 themes emerged from the data of their family members were shown to be incorporated within the four existential of the everyday world, lived body, lived relationship, lived time and lived space.