Construction of intervention by facilitators in psycho-social group therapy for cancer patients

2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 17592269
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Clinical nursing
• Research Institution: Fukuoka Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: CHUJO Masami Fukuoka Prefectural University, department of Nursing, Associate Professor (20382426)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): OKAMURA Hitoshi Hiroshima Univercity, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Professor (40311419)
• Project Period (FY): 2005 – 2007
• Keywords: group intervention / format for facilitator intervention / stricture of intervention format / to improve Patient's QOL

Research Abstract

[Purpose] To elucidate the format for facilitator intervention in psychosocial group therapy for cancer patients and to find the direction in the training of facilitators. [Background review] The efficacy of psychosocial group therapy for cancer patients has been proven by many and the therapy is being applied increasingly more widely in the field of nursing. Yet the actual methods of intervention for nurse facilitators have not been elucidated. [Method] Using the data from the verbatim recordings of 3 groups, which were prepared during group therapy sessions for patients with breast cancer with nurses acting as facilitators, a qualitative inductive analysis was conducted. [Results] The analytical procedure extracted the following for the methods of facilitator intervention : "to do facilitator's best", "facilitator skill", "wa (harmony) in the group as a whole" and "concerted efforts among therapists". For "to do facilitator's best" the following emerged : "to do no intervention", "de fend medical staffs statement", "intervention were off target". For "facilitator skill," the following emerged : "dedication to the role", "acting as a spokesperson", "generating self-reflection", "holding", "confrontation while acting true to yourself", "a sense of presence", "understanding from the context", "remaining unaffected by the context", "having a quick wit" and "interweaving the process with skill". For "wa (harmony) of the group as a whole", the following ideas were extracted : "paying particular attention to the general trend", "encouraging interactions within the group" and "reinforcement of mutual help" For "cooperation among therapists", "supplementing each other's role" was cited. [Conclusion] For the methodology of facilitator intervention by nurses in group therapy, the following four emerged : "to do facilitator's best", "facilitator skill", "wa (harmony) in the group as a whole" and "coordination among therapists". It is possible that by combining these 4, the group mechanism will function well. The finding suggested a direction for facilitator training of nurses in future.