A Comparison between the Selected Students’ Level of Perception toward Nursing Care among Patients with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Abstract

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is the most common neurological side effect of chemotherapy. Despite of crucial benefits of chemotherapy, tumor management is often accompanied by severe side effects related to cancer or/and therapeutic interventions. Thus, nursing students' perception will play an important role in managing this painful condition. Objective: This study aimed to compare between the selected students' level of perception toward nursing care among patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Subject and Methods: A crosssectional comparison research design was utilized with convenient samples of two groups that were recruited (Faculty students=224 students and Institute students=398 students). Recruiting a selfadministered questionnaire link to identify and compare between the participants' perception about nursing care for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in the prementioned settings. Results: The findings clarified that more than half of the studied nurses in both study groups were female, and their age ranged 18-22 years. More than half of the studied students in the faculty had a moderate level of perception compared with less than half of them in the institute. There was a statistically significant relationship stated between the student's level of perception about nursing care for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in the faculty compared to the institute students with their demographic data (p ≤0.05). Conclusion: Definitely, the nursing faculty students in the current study had a high perception level compared to the nursing institute students. Furthermore, there was statistically significant relationship detected between student's level of perception about nursing care for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and their affiliations in both study groups with p value≤0.05. Recommendations: Behalf of the study findings continuously directed education courses for students should be prepared to enhance their level of perception and their near-future roles. Further research studies are essential to identify their further education needs and the factors that influence the university students' perception level.