Abstract

Benalfew Lake* and Alemkanch Ayele

ABSTRACT

Background: women with cervical cancer receiving chemotherapy experiences a variety of side effects which has influence on prognosis of illness, activity of daily living and the quality of life. There is a need of nursing care education for management and prevention of problem among women with cervical cancer. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing education as interventions on physical and psychological outcomes women with cervical cancer receiving chemotherapy. Methods: A Randomized Controlled Trials design was used and participants were selected using simple random sampling technique based on criteria of selection. After the collection of baseline data, out of 426 eligible participants, 142 patients were randomized to experimental group (n=71) and to control group (n=71) respectively. Women with cervical cancer in the experimental group received planned nursing education as interventions delivered by a nurse interventionist, whereas the control group received routine care from the ward nurses. Results: Women with cervical Cancer who received nursing education had improved from both physical & psychological outcomes. In the physical outcomes, the mean scores of chemotherapy related to other symptoms (Z=5.84), and fatigue (Z=4.48) in the experimental group had much lower than in the control group of other symptoms (7.26 ± 2.20), and fatigue (8.54 ± 3.47) respectively. In the psychological outcomes, the mean scores of emotional wellbeing (Z=38.9) had much higher in the experimental group than control group (28.73 ±3.83); but anxiety (Z=8.47) and depression (Z=7.53) in the experimental group had lower than in the control group, anxiety (10.11 ±2.35) and depression (9.01 ±2.25) respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the nursing education as intervention was well accepted by women with cervical cancer and has significant effect towards the improvement of physical and psychological outcomes of cervical cancer women receiving chemotherapy.