Educational Needs for Nurses to Support Dialogue between Terminally Ill Patients with Cancer and Their Families

Purpose: To identify the educational needs of nurses involved in dialogue support for terminally ill cancer patients and their families. Methods: An online survey was conducted among 607 nurses with at least 2 years of practical nursing experience, working in Japanese hospitals with at least 100 beds in wards admitting cancer patients. Educational needs were assessed using the question: “Please tell us what you would like to learn to improve your ability to support dialogue between terminally ill cancer patients and their families.” Responses were requested in an open-ended format. A qualitative inductive analysis based on semantic unit similarity was conducted. Results: Free-text responses were obtained from 270 respondents (response rate: 44.9%). A total of 300 descriptive units were aggregated into 35 codes, 12 subcategories, and six categories. The following needs were identified: ≪knowledge provision leading to dialogue support practice≫, ≪educational support through sharing specific cases≫, ≪how to deepen understanding of the subject based on trust≫, ≪communication skills≫, ≪how to handle difficult cases for nurses≫, and ≪measures to increase team commitment≫. Conclusion: The findings indicate that nurses have educational needs beyond acquiring communication skills. They seek to enhance their ability to support patients and their families, develop a deep understanding of the subject, and engage in natural dialogue.