Care Given to Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: Knowledge of Family Health Strategy Nurses

Abstract

Introduction: Nurses are the professionals who have the greatest contact with cancer patients in primary care. Our hypothesis is that there are knowledge gaps about the particulars of the treatment of cancer patients in these professionals. Objective: To identify the level of knowledge of nurses working in the Family Health Strategy (FHS), on the care of cancer patients during chemotherapy. Method: Transversal, prospective study of quantitative nature, developed with 15 nurses working in Family Health Strategies of three municipalities in the north of the Rio Grande do Sul State. Data were collected in November 2014, by applying a semi structured questionnaire online. Results: The general level of knowledge was classified as regular. Only one respondent scored on 89% of the issues, and the others did not exceed the total of 67% of the questions. Y county had the highest number of correct responses of the study participants and was also the only one where nurses were gazetted and 100% with the highest level of training among the study population. You can assign the best performance in the answers to the most demanding level in the recruitment of nurses. Conclusion: There are gaps in the knowledge of nurses in caring for patients with cancer. This factor is limiting professional practice. We must invest in training and continuing education to achieve a higher level of knowledge and consequently, higher quality care provided to cancer patients.