Development of nursing care model for elderly patients with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy, Lampang Cancer Hospital

Abstract

The elderly population with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy would benefit from a tailored and effective care model to achieve positive patient outcomes. This study aimed to develop a nursing care model for older patients with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy at Lampang Cancer Hospital. This research was conducted in three phases: the development phase, the experimentation and improvement phase, and the implementation and evaluation phase. The samples consisted of 20 nurses and 90 elderly patients with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy, divided into two groups of 45 persons each, and also were selected to align with the inclusion criteria. The research instruments included a patient data recording form, a patient satisfaction assessment form, a nursing practice data collection form, and a nurse knowledge and satisfaction assessment form. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact probability test, t-test, and multivariable logistic regression. The qualitative analysis used content analysis. The results showed that the nursing care model consisted of three key components: 1) work instruction, 2) nursing knowledge development, and 3) monitoring and supervision. After the program's completion, the acute complications of radiotherapy were statically significantly reduced (OR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.03-0.90, p<.05). Additionally, the scores for knowledge, nursing practice skills, and satisfaction levels among both nurses and patients were statistically significantly high (p<.01). In conclusion, the developed nursing care model should be considered for wider application to enhance the effectiveness of care for the elderly population with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy.