SUPPORT AS EXPERIENCED BY PATIENTS WITH CANCER DURING RADIOTHERAPY TREATMENTS

Patients diagnosed with cancer are frequently prescribed radiation the rapy. The treatment is a source of much anxiety and worry for patients and their families, Support, a highly valued intervention strategy in nursing, is believed to assist patients to adjust to stressful experi ences. A qualitative study was conducted to determine patients' experi ences of support while receiving radiotherapy. Data from 12 patients w ere analysed using the procedures and techniques of grounded theory. A substantive theory of support emerged which showed that support is an interpersonal process embedded in an array of social exchanges which involves encountering support, recognising support and feeling support ed, Three main types of support are encountered: being there, giving h elp and giving information, It is a multifaceted concept and all types of support are seen as important. Actions are interpreted within the norms and expectations of a relationship and labelled as supportive by the recipient. Family and friends are the principal sources of all ty pes of support, Professional support is mainly informational. The find ings raise many questions, one of which is should there be a rethinkin g of the concept of support in nursing?