[Nurses' viewpoint of the effects of breast cancer of hospitalized patients on their continued participation in self care].

This article is focused on the viewpoint of nurses about the effects of breast cancer to a patient. What kind of opportunities as well as resources do the nurse notice that the patient has and how much does the nursing practice create possibilities for a patient to participate. The questionnaire developed was sent to special nurses, nurses, radiological nurses and specialized radiological nurses in clinics and wards of one university and six local hospitals (N = 125) in southwestern Finland. Seventy-one percent of respondents returned the questionnaire. The analysis of the data was based on percentual distributions, correlations and cross-tabulations. The main statistical analysis was made by using log-linear models. The meaning of breast cancer to a patient was seen to depend on patient's total life situation. The age, personality and values are imagined to effect how the person reacts in an illness situation. According to nurses patients have resources to participate in more active way in their care. The reasons set limits in patient's participation are seen to be unclear purposes in care and different kind of reasons based on health care staff, nursing practice, the organization and also patients.