Nurse-Delivered Symptom Assessment for Individuals With Advanced Lung Cancer

Objectives: To assess an intervention derived from self-regulation theory (SRT) to promote well-being for individuals with advanced lung cancer.

Sample & Setting: 45 adults with advanced lung cancer who were receiving chemotherapy at an ambulatory cancer center.

Methods & Variables: Participants were randomized to the intervention group or usual care control group. Feasibility assessment focused on recruitment, retention, design, methods, and fidelity. Outcome measures of quality of life, symptoms, and distress were collected at four time points. The main research variables were symptoms, quality of life, and distress.

Results: The participation rate was 79%, and the retention rate was 62%. Participant loss was most often because of progressive disease and occurred early in the study. High fidelity was noted for delivery of the intervention as planned and outcome data collection by telephone. The mean number of interventions delivered was 5.5 of a planned 8. A high level of acceptability was reported for participants completing the intervention.

Implications for Nursing: Although delivering the SRT-derived intervention with fidelity was possible, feasibility findings do not warrant intervention replication in this population.