Page 12 - APPENDIX B: Trials Investigating the Management of Acute Radiation-Induced Skin Reactions Reading Qualitative Research
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WOUND CARE
explore the meaning of nursing “actions that profoundly impact wound healing and the patient’s
quality of life” (Kohr, 2007, p.14). The nurse is at the point of care, following through after
daily radiotherapy with appropriate skin care and dressings. Therefore, in order to understand
the context of nursing clinical practice, the project focuses on current evidence and practice and
how nurses perceive their role in clinical decision-making and inter-professional relationships in
the area of radiation oncology wound care.
Project purpose. The purpose of the thesis is to describe the current evidence and
practice in relation to wound dressings during cancer radiotherapy with the aim of developing the
foundation for best practice and further research. Research questions giving specific direction to
the project are:
1) What is the existing evidence regarding radiating through dressings?
2) What is the current practice in Cancer Agencies with regards to wound dressing
during radiotherapy across Canada?
3) How do nurses perceive their role in clinical decision-making and inter-
professional relationships in this matter?
Project method. A mixed method design was implemented for the thesis. It comprised
of a sequential design beginning with a literature review (Phase I) and a national environmental
scan conducted via an online survey (Phase II), followed by semi-structured qualitative
telephone interviews (Phase III) with four nurses to understand the phenomena of clinical
decision-making and inter-professional relationships in more depth. The target population was
the 42 Radiation Oncology Centres in Canada. One Radiation Therapy Nurse (RTN) per centre
was invited to participate in the online survey.
