A study of the comfort needs of patients with advanced cancer

Patient perceptions of helpful communication in the context of advanced cancer

“…Comforting through the use of empathy is considered an essential skill in oncology nursing (Kruijver et al 2000). It is of particular importance in palliative care, where relief of distressing physical symptoms and addressing psychosocial and spiritual concerns are paramount (Fleming et al 1987, Degner et al 1991, Rittman et al 1997. Studies suggest how nurses communicate with patients with cancer can either hinder or enhance patients' ability to express their concerns and information needs.…”

Emotional support and the role of Clinical Nurse Specialists in palliative care

“…The caring literature also suggests that there is a relationship between the provision of emotional care and support and other nursing activities, such as comfort (Fleming et al. 1987), touch (Bottorff 1993), and enabling others to act for themselves through empowerment (Davies & Oberle 1990).…”

“…The caring literature also suggests that there is a relationship between the provision of emotional care and support and other nursing activities, such as comfort (Fleming et al 1987), touch (Bottorff 1993), and enabling others to act for themselves through empowerment (Davies & Oberle 1990). Bottorff et al (1995) conducted an ethnographic study to describe the strategies observed to be effective in comforting patients with cancer.…”

Concept Analysis of Comfort

“…'The lack of comfort is a relative state and seeking comfort for the sick and injured is to search to relieve oneself of the most demanding discomfort" (Morse et al, 1994, p. 194). Fleming et al (1987) defined comfort as minimizing b i o p s y c h d distress and included activities that would reduce or lessen suffering associated with various aspects of the patient. Kolcaba (1993) specifies that comfort is an outcome defined within the physical, psychospiritual, social, and environmental contexts.…”

“…In several of the above examples comfort is defined as an outcome or state multing from some action or intervention to relieve or eliminate the distress or cause of a discomfort. Another way to define comfort is as an activity or intervention, such as what one might think of as comfort measures or Comforting tasks (Cameron, 1993;Fleming et al, 1987;Kolcaba, 1991;McIlveen & Morse, 1995). In the active sense, comfort is a process.…”