Clinical nurses' expressions of the emotions related to caring and coping with cancer patients in Pakistan: a qualitative study.

Nursing in Pakistan is a developing profession. This was the first study to examine nurses' views and emotions related to nursing cancer patients in an oncology hospital in Pakistan. Semi-structured interviews explored the concept of emotions and their interpretation by nurses. A purposive sample of nurses was recruited from hospital departments and wards. Twenty nurses were interviewed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the data. These were: the importance of expressing empathy, feelings of helplessness, developing emotions and tailoring moods to match the patient environment. The significance of the patients' cancer journey was multilayered with highs and lows that were imbued with the hope of cure and remission and by an emotional catalogue of feelings; joy at nursing patients in remission to helplessness for patients in advanced stage. Male domination and a negative public perception of cancer were significant issues that nurses acknowledged. The strategies nurses use to manage emotional situations needs further research with workshops to enhance nurse's skills in emotional intelligence when caring for cancer patients.