Nurses’ Use of Facilitating and Blocking Communication Behaviours in Cancer Care

This study investigated nurses’ use of facilitating and blocking communication behaviours in cancer care and the associated personal and professional factors. Using cross-sectional quantitative descriptive design and researchers-developed observation guide and questionnaire, data were collected by non-participant observation of 47 nurses working as permanent staff in eight wards admitting predominantly cancer patients in four teaching hospitals in South-Eastern Nigeria. Researchers did non-participant, one-hour event observation and recording of nurses’ use of facilitating and blocking behaviours in communicating with three categories of admitted cancer patients – newly diagnosed with early disease signs, patients admitted with recurrence, and those admitted for palliative care. Out of the 721 events of communication behaviours observed, 441(61.2%) were facilitating, 280(38.8%) were blocking. Nurses exhibited highest facilitating behaviours for patients with early disease (208) and blocking behaviours mostly for patients on palliative care (139). Statistically significant relationships were noted among length of stay in cancer unit (p=0.0444) and exposure to post-basic course in cancer care (p<0.0001). Nurses were not good in communicating pains to patients. All nurses caring for cancer patients will most likely benefit from special pre-requisite training in communication and cancer care.