The Teachable Moment After Cancer Diagnosis: Perceptions From Oncology Nurses

Purpose/Objectives: To determine oncology nurses' perspectives of the receptiveness of survivors to receiving health behavior guidance, with secondary purposes to (a) explore other elements of oncology nurses' perceptions of the teachable moment and (b) examine differences in outcomes between American and Canadian nurses. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: In-and outpatient oncology nursing departments in the United States and Canada. Sample: 310 members of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO/ACIO) and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) who currently care for patients. Methods: Oncology nurses recruited through emails distributed through the CANO/ACIO and ONS Listservs completed online investigator-developed surveys. Main Research Variables: Measures related to oncology nurses' perceptions of survivors' receptiveness to health behavior change counseling and the teachable moment (i.e., general receptiveness, perceived benefits, guidance and referral seeking, long-and short-term effectiveness, best time, and best resources). Findings: Oncology nurses reported that survivors were receptive to receiving guidance on health behaviors, particularly during teachable moments after diagnosis and during treatment. They also perceived that a fairly low percentage of survivors asked for guidance about health behavior change; relatively few made improvements to their health behaviors. Conclusions: Survivors are reported to be interested in receiving guidance concerning health behavior change during key teachable moments. Oncology nurses may need to initiate conversations with survivors, offer education regarding the benefits of positive health behavior change, and provide ongoing support throughout the cancer trajectory. Implications for Nursing: Oncology nurses may use findings from the current study to guide their health behavior change counseling with survivors.