Nurse's quality of life in medical- surgical wards of an oncology center affiliated to the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Quality of life (QoL) has received particular attention by nurses as a holistic approach to realize the status of cancer patients in recent decades. However, few studies have examined the quality of life in nurses working in oncology centers, particularly in Iran.
This study aimed to assess the quality of life in oncology nurses in a selected center in Isfahan.
This study is a part of a larger study conducted in 2013. The 26-item World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQoL-BREF) questionnaire was used . All items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The validity and reliability of this questionnaire have been approved in previous studies in and out of Iran. The questionnaire was completed by 50 nurses in a selected center affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Seventy percent of eligible nurses took part in the study using consensus sampling. The mean QoL score of oncology nurses was calculated (based on the score of 20) across four domains: physical, psychological, social relationship and environmental. The frequency distribution of 2 items measuring “the status of overall quality of life” and “general health status” was also measured. Demographic and clinical information of nurses was also collected in a form.
The QoL mean scores of nurses were 13.47, 12.63, 13.05 and 11.70 in physical, psychological, social relationship and environmental domains, respectively. In response to the question “How satisfied are you with your health?”, the item “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied” was selected by the majority of nurses (42.6 precent). Also, in response to the question “How would you rate your quality of life?”, the item “neither poor nor good” was selected by the majority of nurses (48.9 precent).
Results indicate that QoL of oncology nurses in different domains is at a moderate level. Paying less attention to QoL of oncology nurses and not resolving their reasonable concerns may have a negative impact on the quality of care and quality of life of cancer patients.