EFFECTS OF SUPPORTIVE-EDUCATIVE NURSING SYSTEM ON DERMATITIS OF PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER RECEIVING RADIATION

Abstract

Backgrounds: In head and Neck Cancer Patients who receive high dose radiation treatment, the most common symptom is skin dermatitis that depends on the size and stage of cancer. Supportive - educative nursing system can be applied to head and neck cancer patients to reduce the skin effect. Objective: 1. To study the severity of dermatitis in head and neck cancer patients, receiving radiation therapy, who has been given the knowledge by supportive - educative nursing system on dermatitis 2. To compare the severity of dermatitis between the experimental group who received the knowledge by supportive - educative nursing system with the control group who received the knowledge by standard nursing care in dermatitis Materials and methods: This quasi-experimental study aimed to study the effects of supportive - educative nursing system on dermatitis in patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiation. The participants consisted of 32 cancer patients receiving radiation at the Wattanosoth hospital, Bangkok dusit medical services public company limited. The first 16 subjects were assigned to the control group, who received the standard care. The second 16 subjects assigned to the experimental group. The program consisted of the following nursing intervention: building relationship, teaching, guiding, supporting, and providing supportive environment within seven- week period. Data were collected using the skin self - reaction assessment the interview on feeling of patients toward skin care in radiation area and the skin-care record. The series of data collection were collected at week 1 prior to the experiment (T0), week 2 (T1), week 3 (T2), week 4 (T3), week 5 (T4), week 6 (T5), and week 7 (T6). The effectiveness of the program was determined by severity of dermatitis. Hypotheses were tested using analyses of percentage, mean, minimum, maximum and ANOVA repeated measurements. Results: The results showed that both groups had statistically significant increase in severity of dermatitis along the radiation period as compared with before radiation treatment (p<0.05). The experiment group, who receiving supportive - educative nursing care, had significantly less severe dermatitis compared with the control group (p<0.05) Conclusion: Using Supportive - educative Nursing System in the treatment of head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy can reduce the severity symptoms of dermatitis.