ONCOLOGY NURSE AND PHYSICIAN ATTITUDES TOWARD AGGRESSIVE CANCER-TREATMENT

Oncology nurses (n = 57) and oncology physicians (n = 40) employed in the same hospital completed the Cancer Attitude Questionnaire. Signifi cant differences (p less-than-or-equal-to .001) between nurse and phys ician attitudes were evident on the two major subscales addressing the issues of (a) aggressiveness of treatment/de-emphasis of socioemotion al aspects of care and (b) the importance of patient-family attitudes. Physicians' attitudes were significantly more favorable on the first subscale; nurses' attitudes were significantly more favorable on the s econd. Implications of these findings as indicators of potential nurse -physician conflict are discussed.