ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of personal consultancy service that is provided to patients with breast cancer on anxiety, depression, life quality and patient satisfaction.

This study was a quasi-experimental and longitudinal study. The sample consisted of a total of 64 female patients (32 control, 32 experimental), who were diagnosed with stage I and stage II breast cancer at a university hospital. The patients in the experimental group received consultancy from the same nurse during the preoperative, postoperative, radiotherapy, chemotherapy periods and after the completion of treatments for one full year. During the first interview, the patients were given a training book that was prepared by the research group. Patients in the control group received the routine nursing service being conducted in the hospital where the study was performed. Patient description form, hospital anxiety depression scale, multi-dimensional life quality scale and patient satisfaction form was used for the data collection process. T-test, chi-square and Man-Whitney U test was used for the analysis of the data.

As a result of all follow-ups, the anxiety and depression score averages of the experimental group were determined to be lower compared to that of the control group. It was determined that the experimental group had a higher score average of life quality compared to the control group except for the postoperative period.

It was determined that the personal consultancy being conducted by the same nurse throughout the diagnosis and treatment process decreased the risk of anxiety and depression and increased the life quality of patients with breast cancer.