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Rosemary Saunders,1 Kien Chan,2 Renée M Graham,1 Elena Adams,2 Caroline E Bulsara,3 Karla Seaman,1 Marcella Cranny-Connolly2 1Centre for Research in Aged Care, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; 2Stroke Services, Osborne Park Hospital, Osborne Park, Western Australia, Australia; 3School of Nursing Midwifery & Institute for Health Research, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, AustraliaCorrespondence: Rosemary SaundersCentre for Research in Aged Care, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Western Australia, 6027, AustraliaTel +61 8 6304 3513Email rosemary.saunders@ecu.edu.auPurpose: Stroke brings about physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes and, consequently, many stroke survivors feel underprepared for the transition from hospital to home. Nursing and allied health staff have a key role in stroke rehabilitation. Peer support programs have been found effective in supporting stroke survivors, alongside hospital staff caring for stroke patients, by providing experiential knowledge that staff are not able to provide.Aim: This study explored the perceptions and experiences of nursing and allied health staff of a volunteer peer support program for stroke inpatients.Methods: This study utilised a qualitative, evaluative case study design. This study was conducted at a public metropolitan hospital in Western Australia that had developed a stroke peer support program (SPSP) on a rehabilitation ward. A purposeful sample of nurses (n = 5) and multidisciplinary allied health staff (n = 5) were recruited from the ward where the SPSP was provided for stroke inpatients. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with staff participants. Verbatim transcripts from audio-recorded interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.Results: Nursing and allied health staff perceived the SPSP as valuable to

Persons diagnosed with cancer are increasingly using non-pharmacological interventions as a therapy for cancer, either independently or in addition to usual medical treatment. Within mainstream medical systems, information availability and access to these therapies is generally limited and patients’ usage is commonly self-initiated. Self-initiation raises issues regarding personal safety, efficacy of the intervention, and the minimisation of potential side effects. A search was undertaken to identify relevant scientific literature related to the use of 15 non-pharmacological interventions widely used in cancer populations as therapy: acupuncture, biofeedback, exercise, meditation, music, visualization/guided imagery, yoga, kinesiology, massage, reflexology, healing touch, Qigong, Reiki, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. These interventions were classified as mind-body, touch-based or energy-based therapies. This literature search was not intended to be a systematic review, but a comprehensive assessment of current scientific publications relating to the safety and side effects of each intervention. This chapter reveals that such interventions had been used in a number of different countries worldwide, in a variety of cancer populations, to address approximately 23 different symptoms associated with the experience of cancer. For all of the interventions reviewed, the recorded occurrence of side effects was minimal. Safety issues and precautions were rarely discussed in the literature relating to these non-pharmacological therapies, apart from the literature relating to the use of exercise. For hospitals considering the use of non-pharmacological interventions, a framework to facilitate the safe administration of non-pharmacological interventions as a therapy for cancer is presented. There are six main elements of this framework: the considered selection of non-pharmacological interventions, recruitment of quality practitioners, provision of oncology ed

[Truncated abstract] The concept of patient empowerment, although acknowledged by the medical community as important, is rarely understood and seldom given priority in the illness trajectory of the cancer patient. A pilot study of a Shared Care Model amongst haematological cancer patients highlighted the fact that some patients spoke of a sense of empowerment and an overall sense of greater control when more fully included in the treatment and management of their condition. The research which forms the basis of this thesis focused on the role of empowerment in the wellbeing of cancer patients. There were three objectives to be met by completing this research. Firstly, to demonstrate that empowerment is a uniquely identifiable concept and can be measured separately from other quality of life indicators. Secondly, the study sought to explore that concept that empowerment takes into account the way in which patients act upon their prognosis and optimise the outcomes of treatment. Thus it is believed that accessing tailored resources and support structures benefit cancer patients and those who are caring for them such as close family members and friends by helping the patient achieve an individual level of empowerment. Finally, the research sought to explore the concept that empowerment improves psychological outcome in patients. The benefits are increased empowerment and an active use of coping strategies amongst patients in order to regain a measure of control over their illness. The Patient Empowerment Scale was developed to measure empowerment as an individual construct. '...' The Patient Empowerment Scale (15 items) was shown to be a reliable measure of empowerment and fitted the model well. A qualitative methodological approach sought to address and explore the second and third concepts. In addition, the concept of empowerment as it relates to motivation and self-efficacy was investigated qualitatively using in-depth interviewing technique. A phenomenological meth, Thesis (Ph.D)--University of Western Australia, 2008

Williams A.M., Bulsara C.E., Joske D.J.L., Petterson A.S., Nowak A.K., Bennett K.S. (2014). An Oasis in the Hospital: The Perceived Benefits of a Cancer Support Center in a Hospital Setting Offering Complementary Therapies. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 32(4), 250-260. Available here

Taylor, K., Monterosso, L., & Bulsara, C. (2018). Qualitative results from a phase II pilot randomised controlled trial of a lymphoma nurse-led model of survivorship care. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 35, 9-14. Available here.

Williams, A. M., Allen, J., Zeps, N., Pienaar, C., Bulsara, C., & Monterosso, L. (2016). Consent to donate surgical biospecimens for research: perceptions of people with colorectal cancer. Cancer nursing, 39(3), 221-227. Available here