Abstract
The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify th homecare needs of the discharged patient with cancer as perceived by nurses caring hospitalized cancer patients. At two hospitals in Gyeognam, 74 nurse responded to an open-ended questionnaire consisting of four need categories; 1) educational and information need, 2) physical need, 3) emotional need, 4) social need. Respondents were asked to list above ten needs of cancer patient in each category. Two researchers analyzed the data by content analysis method. The finds are summarized as follows; 1) A total of 1,417 need items were generated by nurses. The largest number of needs were in the educational and information need category(475 items, 36.3%). Physical (414 items, 31.6%), emotional (237 items ,18.1%) need were the second, third largest, and social(184 items, 14.0%) need made up the smallest category. 2) In the educational and informational need category, there were seven subcategories of prognosis, diet and exercise, medication and pain, wound care, folk remedy, personal hygiene, comfort. The need items related to prognosis of cancer accounted for almost a half(48.2%) of the total. 3) In the physical need category, there were ten subcategories of personal hygiene, skin and tissue, nutrition, side effect on treatment, exercise, pain, elimination, equipment, comfort and safety, others. The largest number of needs were in subcategory of the personal hygiene982 items, 19.8%). 4) In the emotional need category, there were four subcategories of emotional support related to disease, emotional support related to routine life, spiritual support, maintenance of relationship with nurse and doctor. The largest number of need were in subcategory of the emotional support related to disease(96 item, 40.5%). 5) In the social need category, there were five subcategories of support for social life, household management, legal support, the use of volunteer service, financial support. The largest number of needs were in support for social life subcategory(58 item, 31.5%).