Effectiveness of a brief psycho-oncology training program for general nurses: a preliminary study

Many nurses are not confident in management of psychological distress in cancer patients. We developed a brief psycho-oncology training program for general nurses, and explored the usefulness of the program preliminary. Seventy-two nurses in 17 designated cancer hospitals received a 4-h program comprising an e-learning lecture on assessment and management of normal psychological responses to cancer and an onsite workshop, including a role-play exercise and group work. Primary outcomes were changes in self-reported confidence, knowledge and attitudes toward caring for patients with normal psychological response between pre-training and post-training. All outcomes, excepting several aspects of attitude, were significantly improved after training (P < 0.05). Intervention acceptability was good as no participants dropped out and all participants considered the program useful in clinical practice. Further consideration is required to clarify whether the cancer care provided by nurses who received psycho-oncology training is effective to ameliorate psychological distress in cancer patients.