Nursing need of patients with oral cancer and its influencing factors

Objective To explore postoperative nursing need of patients with oral cancer and its influencing factors. Methods A total of 158 patients with oral cancer after operation were selected and conducted with Patient's Concern Inventory(PCI)of head and neck neoplasm for investigation of postoperative nursing need. Results The result revealed that 158 patients had individualized differences in nursing need after discharge, and the selection rate based on comprehensive analysis ranged from 3.2% to 87.3%. The top 10 concerns in demand were chewing/eating(87.3%), fear of cancer reoccurrence(87.3%), dental/teeth health(82.3%), mood(79.7%), recreation(79.1%), mouth opening degree(78.5%), anxiety(77.8%), activity participation(77.2%), language/communication(76.7%)and self-respect(75.9%). Patients living in rural areas and with low satisfaction degree to economic, tracheotomy, feeding through gastric tube or gastrostomy tube, poor language communication, cancer reoccurrence, and radiotherapy and chemotherapy at present had stronger demands for nursing. Conclusion There are strong demands of nursing needs in patients with oral cancer after discharge, and the demands show individualized differences. Systematic evaluation can help clinical doctors and nurses to understand patients' nursing needs, and provide various kinds of nursing and help patients in a predictable way in order to improve quality of life.