Lived Experience of Cancer Patients and their Family Members in a View to Develop a Nursing Care Guideline for the Nursing Personnel at Selected Cancer Institute, Puducherry

Everyone’s life is changed by the diagnosis of cancer. It significantly weighs down humanity. This study sought to understand the lived experiences of cancer patients and their loved ones. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to extract participant experiences relating to their physiological, psychological, socioeconomic, spiritual, and cultural dimensions. A qualitative methodology based on a phenomenological framework was used. Sixteen cancer patients and their family members were selected by purposive sampling technique. The phenomenological methodology of Colaizzi was used to analyze the data. The following seven themes emerged for cancer patients: physiological, psychological, socioeconomic, spiritual, and cultural dimensions. These findings also highlight crucial areas that call for immediate, intensive action to improve care for cancer patients and their families and thus, their quality of life.