Objective This scoping review aimed to map the content, duration, delivery methods and modes of assessment for paediatric oncology nursing education and training programmes.Design Scoping review.Data sources Published articles were retrieved from Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Dimensions, Embase, PubMed and Scopus. Additional articles were identified from the reference list of the included studies.Eligibility criteria Articles that described or reported on a paediatric oncology nursing education and training programme, from any setting, published in English from 2012 to 2022.Data extraction and synthesis Two reviewers independently screened the titles, abstracts and full texts. Data were extracted using a standardised data extraction tool. Content analysis using basic coding of data was performed. The findings are presented in figures and tables, and the results are described narratively.Results This review included 15 articles. Content identified for paediatric oncology education and training programmes included supportive care, chemotherapy, overview of paediatric oncology, management of venous access devices, oncological emergencies, nursing considerations, infection prevention and control, paediatric cancers, patient and family education, communication, ethical legal considerations, grief and bereavement, and overview of haematological cancers. Didactic methods used included traditional face-to-face and virtual approaches to deliver theoretical and practical content. The duration of the programmes ranged from 2 hours to 6 months. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of assessment were used before, during and after the training.Conclusion This review offers valuable insights for the development of paediatric oncology education and training programmes for nurses. It provides comprehensive guidance on key content, duration, delivery methods and modes of assessment. However, there is a need to consider context-specific issues and availability of resources when developing the programmes to ensure relevance and sustainability.Study registration Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/X3Q4H).

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in South Africa. Treatment is tailored but external beam radiation and brachytherapy with or without concomitant chemotherapy are commonly used. Aim: This study aimed to pilot test a support programme for women receiving curative radiotherapy for cervical cancer. Setting: The Radiation Oncology Department at an academic hospital in the Gauteng province. Methods: An intervention design and pre-test post-test approach was used. The primary outcome was perceived social support and the secondary outcome was quality of life (QoL). Census sampling entered 56 women in the programme but only 15 completed it. The Berlin Social Support Scale (BSSS) and EORTC QOQ-CX24 served as data collection instruments. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data using a completer only approach. Results: The majority of both the pre-intervention (n = 56) and post-intervention (n = 15) groups were older than 40 years (62.5%, n = 35 and 73.4%, n = 11, respectively). Most of the support categories except for ‘support seeking’ showed statistical significant differences before and after the programme. Symptom experience had the highest mean score of the symptoms scales both before and after the programme (M = 50.7 and 41.8, respectively). Conclusion: Positive results were obtained in terms of support, but QoL did not show the same trend. However, it would be feasible to refine the programme and conduct a second pilot test. Contribution: Our study seems to be the first of its kind and illustrates the positive influence a support programme can have on the lives of women receiving radiotherapy for cervical cancer.

Background: A cervical cancer diagnosis has several implications for women’s lives. Living with cervical cancer in the context of sub-Sahara Africa’s unique challenges can have a devastating effect on psychosocial health. Objectives: This study describes the publication output reporting psychosocial implications of cervical cancer for women living in sub-Saharan Africa. Method: A scoping review was conducted using the keywords Africa and cervical cancer in combination with psychosocial, psychological, social, spiritual, cultural and financial to search five databases. A data extraction sheet was developed to capture the relative data, which was analysed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Of the 294 articles initially identified, 18 were included in the review. Results: The majority of the studies (66.7%; n = 12) were qualitative. They focussed on five psychosocial domains – psychological including a lack of knowledge, misunderstanding and unmet information needs, the omnipresent experience of fear and sexual problems as well as social, cultural, spiritual and financial implications. Conclusion: Work focussing on the psychosocial implications of cervical cancer in women living in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. Only one study focussed specifically on a psychosocial domain, the rest reported little about psychosocial issues. There is an urgent need for research that focusses exclusively on psychosocial health, separate from other studies. Contribution: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study synthesising research conducted on this specific topic. We mapped the extent of the current evidence base, identified gaps and highlighted areas requiring additional inquiry.

Background Cancer is a major public health concern worldwide, with breast cancer affecting approximately 2.3 million women and contributing to (6.9%) cancer-related deaths in 2020. In Africa, breast cancer accounts for 27.7% of all cancer diagnoses, with Sub-Saharan Africa having one of the highest mortality rates. In Ghana, breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women, with 60% presenting at advanced stages. Late presentation often necessitates palliative chemotherapy, which has significant physical, psychosocial, spiritual and financial burdens. Despite these challenges, no study has investigated the palliative care needs of women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer in Ghana. The aim of this study therefore is to describe the palliative care needs of women receiving palliative chemotherapy for breast cancer treated at an academic hospital in the Volta Region of Ghana. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used, twenty-four women aged 18 years and above were purposively selected. The participants provided demographic information and took part in individual, in-depth, face-to-face semi-structured interviews asking one opening question. The data were analyzed using content analyses and an inductive approach. Results The participant’s ages ranged between 39 to 79 years with a median age of 54.5. The majority were married (22 of 24), had a university education (21 of 24) and belonged to the Ewe tribe (20 of 24). Five needs were identified; the need for symptom management, professional informational support, psychosocial support, spiritual support, and socio-economic support. Conclusion The women’s palliative care needs exceeded the physical and included the need for accurate information from health care professionals that would enable them to make informed health care decisions. They also needed money to pay for their treatment, prayers and pain management. It therefore recommended that a tailored palliative care programme be developed to support women diagnosed with breast cancer receiving palliative chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND:Most people with cancer experience pain caused by the disease and treatment.AIMS:To describe the experience of cancer pain of South African patients.METHODS:A qualitative descriptive design was used; 20 (n=20) participants were purposively selected and in-depth interviews were conducted. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the data.FINDINGS:Two themes and five subthemes were identified. The themes were pain as a unique multi-dimensional experience, and that the unmet needs of the patient can influence their experience of pain.CONCLUSION:The participants experienced total pain. Emotional pain, enhanced by loneliness and unmet information needs was experienced, and this was felt by participants as the worst kind of pain. Pain was mediated by means of medication that did not work well for all, support, compassionate care and hope that God would cure them and take the pain away.RECOMMENDATION:A person-centred approach to pain management is needed, especially in diverse countries, such as South Africa, to better understand the complexity and influence of culture, language and education on the pain experience and to guide individual pain management.

On sait peu de choses de l’expérience des infirmières et infirmiers d’Afrique du Sud qui soignent les patients atteints de cancer. La présente étude avait pour but de décrire en termes simples l’expérience du personnel infirmier travaillant dans les milieux de soins aigus. Par échantillonnage dirigé, on a sélectionné 20 infirmières et infirmiers qui ont ensuite passé des entrevues détaillées. Il s’agissait pour la plupart de femmes, infirmières autorisées en oncologie, ayant plus de 5 ans d’expérience. Trois thèmes sont ressortis des discussions : la définition de l’expérience des soins infirmiers oncologiques, les difficultés de la prestation de soins aux patients atteints de cancer, et les problèmes attribuables au système de santé. Pour la plupart, les personnes ayant participé à l’étude croyaient que Dieu les avait appelées à travailler auprès des patients atteints de cancer. Toutefois, à cause des difficultés vécues, elles se sentaient coupables et n’avaient pas l’impression de donner des soins adéquats. En outre, elles étaient victimes de violence dans leur milieu de travail, ne bénéficiaient pas du soutien des cadres de gestion des soins infirmiers, et montraient des signes d’épuisement professionnel. Pour réduire la détresse émotionnelle et prévenir l’épuisement, il faudra trouver une solution à ces problèmes.

Little is known about the experience of nurses caring for cancer patients. This study was undertaken to provide a straightforward description of the experiences of South African nurses caring for patients in acute cancer care settings. Purposive sampling selected 20 nurses with whom there were in-depth interviews. The participants were mostly female registered oncology nurses with more than 5 years’ experience. Three themes were identified: defining the cancer nursing experience, the challenges experienced in caring for cancer patients, and challenges imposed by the healthcare system. Most of the participants believed they were called by God to care for cancer patients. However, the challenges they experienced led to guilt feelings and believing the care they provided was insufficient. They were subjected to workplace violence, missed the support from senior nursing management and displayed signs of burnout. Addressing these challenges could limit their emotional distress and prevent burnout.

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Zimbabwe. However, screening for prostate cancer is opportunistic as population-based screening is not available. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of men living in Harare, Zimbabwe relating to prostate cancer. Method: A door-to-door survey took place in Mufakose, Harare. Each household was included, and men, 40 years and older, were convenience sampled until realisation of the calculated sample size of 269 (n = 269). A researcher-administered questionnaire collected the data, analysis was performed with descriptive statistics, and Chi-square tested statistically significant differences between the variables. Results: The majority of the sample (53.2; n = 143) was between 40 years old and 49 years old. Most (74.5%; n = 201) did not know what prostate cancer was, but the total sample (100%; n = 269) indicated that prostate cancer could lead to death. Only 50.6% (n = 136) were of the opinion that men should be screened; most (87.7%; n = 236) had never been screened. A Chi-square test of independence found a statistically significant difference between educational level and having had prostate cancer screening, χ2 (1) = 47.881, p 0.000. Conclusion: As confirmed by other studies, the respondents had limited knowledge of prostate cancer, but had a positive attitude towards the disease, as most were willing to go for screening. There had been only a small percentage screened previously, and less than half returned to learn the results. Contribution: The study emphasises the role of primary health clinics as it could be an ideal setting to teach men about prostate cancer and its screening, and provide screening services in Zimbabwe.

AIM:The aim of this study was to describe the research output of African's nurses in the field of palliative care from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021.METHODS:A scoping review was conducted. The key words Africa and nursing in combination with palliative care, end of life, terminal care, hospice, and supportive care were used to search the databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsychINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Only studies authored by a nurse with an African affiliation focusing on issues related to advanced cancer were included. The data were captured onto an extraction sheet and analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and content analyses.RESULTS:Of the 522 articles identified, only 16 met the inclusion criteria. The work originated from eight African countries was primarily qualitative and focused on the family and caregivers. Pain was the only symptom investigated.CONCLUSIONS:Studies focusing on symptoms, psychosocial, spiritual, end of life care as well as studies testing nursing interventions are urgently needed. Interregional research could also assist with building the current evidence.

There is a growing recognition that oncology nurses are vitally important for an effective cancer control system. Although there is variation among countries, oncology nursing is being recognized as a specialty practice and seen as a priority for development in cancer control plans in many settings. Ministries of Health in many countries are beginning to acknowledge the role nurses play in achieving successful cancer control outcomes. Additionally, the need for access to relevant education for oncology nursing practice is being recognized by nursing and policy leaders. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the growth and development of oncology nursing in Africa. Several vignettes are presented by nurse leaders in cancer care from several African countries. Their descriptions offer brief illustrations regarding the leadership nurses are providing in cancer control education, clinical practice, and research in their respective countries. The illustrations offer insight into the urgent need, and the potential, for future development of oncology nursing as a specialty given the many challenges nurses face across the African continent. The illustrations may also provide encouragement and ideas for nurses in countries where there is little current development of the specialty about how to proceed to mobilize efforts aimed toward its growth.

In South-Eastern Nigeria, we selected villages with a high prevalence of FGM/C to investigate trends in and influences affecting how females undergo the cut. This chapter presents the results of our qualitative study. In-depth interviews with 18 volunteering mothers of genitally mutilated girls provided data that we subjected to qualitative content analysis. We explored factors that encourage FGM/C, such as culture and patriarchy, and argued that stakeholders in traditions that endorse altering the vulva included healthcare professionals, circumcised women, families, and communities. Two primary themes emerged – trends in the performance of the practice, and perceptions regarding continuation – and six sub-themes. To minimize known health risks, our interlocutors distanced themselves from traditional cutting to move toward a non-invasive model, referred to as the "new method." Finally, in South-Eastern Nigeria, where the practice claims to be "a quest for genital beauty," we see that FGM/C and female genital reshaping meet at the intersection of old and new traditions in the transformation of genitalia. The chapter recommends funding a community-based educational curriculum espousing abolition together with a program to end FGM/C tailored to the specific understanding of problem in these communities.

Introduction The care of children with cancer is a highly specialised field which requires well-educated, trained and dedicated nurses to provide high-quality care. In low/middle-income countries, the survival rate of children with cancer is low as compared with that of high-income countries due to the limited number of specialised oncology healthcare professionals, especially nurses. To address this problem, a number of paediatric oncology education and training programmes have been developed for nurses. The objective of this scoping review is to describe the existing literature focusing on paediatric oncology nursing education and training programmes; to map the content, delivery methods, duration and mode of assessment. Methods The review will include articles published in English, from 2012 to 2022, that describe a paediatric oncology nursing education programme, from any setting. The review will follow Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews guidelines. A systematic search of literature will be performed in CINAHL, Dimensions, Embase, PubMed and Scopus. A two-stage standardised screening process will be employed to evaluate eligibility of the articles. All abstracts that will be considered relevant will be reviewed in full text form by the two reviewers independently. Conflicts will be resolved by consensus of all reviewers through a meeting. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers using a developed data extraction tool. The results will be reported in extraction tables and diagrams with a narrative summary. Ethics and dissemination This scoping review is part of the multiphase study which obtained ethical clearance from College of Medicine Research Ethics Committee in Malawi and Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. The scoping review will be published in a peer reviewed journal. The findings will also be presented at national and international conferences. Trial registration number https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/X3Q4H

Background: Yearly, thousands of women succumb to cervical cancer in low resource settings including Namibia. There is need for effective interventions to improve prevention and management. This study focussed on a program to improve screening uptake.Objective: To pilot test a community based educational program to improve cervical cancer screening uptake in Keetmanshoop Namibia. Methods: A community based educational programme was developed and pilot tested. It involved a preparation phase which included training of Health Extension Workers(HEWs) , clinic audits and stakeholders meeting then the pilot testing of the educational program. The program outcomes were screening uptake, knowledge and attitudes of women. These were assessed using a one group pre and posttest design. Clinic’s records were used to assess screening uptake, whilst a questionnaire assessed knowledge and attitudes of the participants. Results: 21 HEWs were successfully trained who assisted in inviting women to the educational program. The clinic readiness for two of the three urban clinics improved from 56% and 67% to 100%. The third clinic was excluded as it was no longer offering screening. A total of 105 women (n=105) attended the nine educational sessions held across Keetmanshoop urban. All three outcomes, screening uptake, knowledge and attitude, significantly improved post intervention; screening uptake p=0.0034, at p < .05 with Odds ratio of 2.4 and attitude p=0.000021; at p < .05. Conclusions: Structured tailor-made community based educational programs coupled with addressing operational gaps in the healthcare delivery system, improved cervical cancer screening uptake knowledge and attitudes of the women.

Psychosocial care is considered an important component of quality cancer care. Individuals treated for cancer can experience biologic or physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical consequences (eg, financial), which have an impact on their quality of living. With the establishment of cancer centers in Africa, there is growing advocacy regarding the need for psychosocial care, given the level of unmet supportive care needs and high emotional distress reported for patients. Nurses are in an ideal position to provide psychosocial care to patients with cancer and their families but must possess relevant knowledge and skills to do so. Across Africa, nurses are challenged in gaining the necessary education for psychosocial cancer care as programs vary in the amount of psychosocial content offered. This perspective article presents competencies regarding psychosocial care for nurses caring for patients with cancer in Africa. The competencies were adapted by expert consensus from existing evidenced-based competencies for oncology nurses. They are offered as a potential basis for educational program planning and curriculum development for cancer nursing in Africa. Recommendations are offered regarding use of these competencies by nursing and cancer program leaders to enhance the quality of care for African patients with cancer and their family members. The strategies emphasize building capacity of nurses to engage in effective delivery of psychosocial care for individuals with cancer and their family members.

Irrespective of the fact that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in South African men, little is known about the lives of men living with prostate cancer. This study aimed to describe the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of men treated with hormonal therapy for prostate cancer. A cross sectional design, calculated sample size and convenience sampling method were used to recruit 113 men (n=113) treated at a tertiary hospital in the Gauteng Province. The EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-PR25 questionnaires were used to collect the data. The data were analysed by means of descriptive statistics, and the Kruskall-Wallis H-test was used to compare the mean responses (p≤0.05). The ages of the sample (n=113) ranged from 52 to 96 years, with a mean of 68.8 years (SD±7.3). Overall health had the highest mean score (M=61; SD±19.1), compared to global health (M=60.5; SD±18.8), and HRQoL (M=60; SD±24.2). Social functioning was the domain that scored the lowest (M=72.6; SD±30.8), while hot flushes was the hormonal treatment-related symptom with the highest mean (M=46; SD±40.4). Hormonal therapy affected all the HRQoL domains of the men in our sample. However, the group 50 to 59 years of age and those in the first year of treatment had a better HRQoL compared to those 60 years and older and those in the second year of treatment. Nurses can enhance the HRQoL of these men through questioning, assessment and timely intervention.

BACKGROUND:Caregivers share cancer experiences with patients, but little is known about their own experiences in the end-of-life phase, the most difficult phase in the caregiving journey.AIMS:To describe the experiences of caregivers of cancer patients admitted to a hospice in South Africa.METHODS:A qualitative design was used; 22 (n=22) participants were purposively selected and in-depth interviews were conducted. Analysis of the data was by qualitative content analysis.FINDINGS:A total of three themes arose from the data: emotional responses towards the caregiver role, personal cost of caregiving and spiritual issues relating to caregiving.CONCLUSION:Caring for cancer patients during the last phase of life was not easy. Responsibilities overwhelmed the participants and they were emotionally exhausted. They lacked knowledge of how to care and experienced a heavy financial burden. Despite the challenges that they faced, faith and religious practices served as a coping mechanism and kept some going.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in both high-income and low-middle-income regions of the world. In low-income countries, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Empirical literature indicates that women with breast cancer in Nigeria present with advanced stages of the breast cancer thereby compromising the survival rate of the illness. The purpose of this paper is to present the outcome of a research study that explored the health-seeking behaviors of women with advanced breast cancer in Southwestern Nigeria, from the time they first noticed a breast abnormality till the time they presented for care in the hospital, from the participants’ perspectives. The study participants were 30 women presenting with advanced stages of breast cancer in Southwestern Nigeria. The study was a qualitative study. The research methodological approach adopted for the study was Interpretive Description.Data were collected in two phases. Phase one consisted of participants filling a personal demographic information form; the second phase consisted of the conduct of audio-recorded one-on-one, semi-structured interviews by the researcher. Data analysis was inductive. All the participants were aware of their rights as study participants before the commencement of the study. Many participants did not interpret their breast changes as breast cancer, and they engaged in self-care until their symptoms had worsened. Some women engaged in seeking information about their breast changes from their families, internet, and social networks. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed the women’s health-seeking behaviors to include engaging in self-care, seeking divine intervention, and seeking evidence-based knowledge and care. The findings from this study suggest the need for a comprehensive community-based educational intervention to address the etiology, misconceptions, signs and symptoms of breast cancer, and the actions to take when breast changes are observed.

Objectives: Globally, breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women. Empirical literature indicate that it is the second cause of cancer-related mortality in high-resource regions, while it is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women in poor-resource regions. This study presents the suitability of the health belief model (HBM) as a framework for carrying out a comprehensive assessment of women with late-stage breast cancer in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study employed interpretive description as its methodological approach, while the HBM was the conceptual framework. Two institutional review boards granted approval to conduct the study. Thirty women with advanced breast cancer were recruited for the study using purposeful sampling techniques. Components of the original HBM were identified to carry out the investigation. Data analysis was inductive. Results: Findings indicated that the participants viewed breast cancer as a definite threat- both as a spiritual attack – an arrow shot by the enemy, and as a killer disease. Many of their perceptions appeared to be culturally based, while others were based on their individual experiences. They perceived some benefits to both traditional and medical treatment options. Conclusions: Interventions that address people’s cultural and individual perceptions enables a comprehensive assessment of the patients with breast cancer, which can improve the treatment outcomes and survival rates of disease.