Page 46 - APPENDIX B: Trials Investigating the Management of Acute Radiation-Induced Skin Reactions Reading Qualitative Research

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WOUND CARE

Conceptual Framework

The visual representation of the project’s schematic model (Figure 3.1) is foundational to

the entire research process. The schematic model introduced the sequential relationships

between different phases of the project. The concepts of skin assessment, wound management,

clinical decision-making and inter-professional practice guided the scope and focus of all four

phases of this project. Each phase is instrumental in highlighting different aspects of wound care

and together helps to comprehend the whole. An effort was made at every stage of the research

process to understand the practice and perspectives of nurses in radiation oncology, particularly

in the area of both, radiation-induced dermatitis and malignant wound care management during

radiotherapy.

Methodology

A mixed method design was planned for the thesis. It comprised of a sequential design

of four phases:

 Phase I focused on a literature review and was presented in detail in Chapter Two;

 Phase II included an environmental scan with the scope of an online national

survey of present practices with nurses across 42 Canadian Radiation Oncology

Centres;

 Phase III comprised of semi-structured telephone interviews with four nurses. A

qualitative descriptive design was planned for this phase of the inquiry, so that the

participants could describe their experiences in the provision of wound care in

oncology during radiotherapy;

 Phase IV, the final phase of the study, involved a consensus-building process in

which experts from the field of radiation oncology and wound management were