-Original-

Difficulties Nurses Report in Caring for Patients with Bone Metastases and Their Expectations after Participating in a Bone Metastasis Cancer Board: A Questionnaire Study

Tsunemi Kitagawa¹, Yasuyuki Kitagawa², Yoichiro Aoyagi¹ and Tokifumi Majima²

¹Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
²Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan

Background: Patients with bone metastases often face physical, mental, and social challenges that require multidisciplinary management. To improve treatment and practice, we conducted a questionnaire survey to assess nurses' opinions of problems related to caring for patients with bone metastases. In addition, we investigated nurses' perceptions of bone metastases after participating in a Bone Metastasis Cancer Board (BMCB).
Methods: An anonymous questionnaire survey on problems in bone metastasis treatment and the BMCB was conducted. The respondents were nurses with more than 1 year of clinical experience working in wards where patients with bone metastases were admitted.
Results: The number of valid responses was 224. Almost all the nurses felt anxiety about the risk of pathological fracture and paralysis while caring for patients with bone metastases. To reduce this anxiety, about 90% of the nurses supported the suggestion that "patients should be referred to an orthopedic surgeon in advance to obtain opinions on load restrictions". Nurses who had participated in the BMCB had higher expectations regarding treatment, multidisciplinary collaboration, and sharing and accumulating knowledge and experience.
Conclusion: To improve treatment and nursing care for patients with bone metastases, it is important to make regular BMCB meetings more functional and to actively consult with specialists.

J Nippon Med Sch 2024; 91: 198-206

Keywords
bone metastasis, nurse, pathological fracture, paralysis, questionnaire

Correspondence to
Tsunemi Kitagawa, MD, PhD, PHN, RN, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan
t-kita@nms.ac.jp

Received, August 30, 2023
Accepted, October 25, 2023