Cancer, Chemotherapy-Related Symptoms, Nutrition Disorders
Conditions
Keywords
Oncology Nursing, Nutritional Support, Cancer Patients, Nurse-Led Intervention, Co-Design, Self-Efficacy, Symptom Management, Nutrition Education, Chemotherapy Side Effects
Brief summary
This study evaluates a co-designed nutritional training program for oncology nurses in Vietnam. The aim is to improve nurses' knowledge, confidence, and clinical practice in providing nutritional support for patients with cancer experiencing treatment-related symptoms. The study used a single-group pre-post intervention design. Oncology nurses participated in a structured training program that included theoretical sessions and supervised clinical practice. After training, nurses delivered nutritional support to patients during routine care. The study assessed changes in nurses' knowledge, self-confidence, and practice performance before and after the intervention. In addition, the acceptability of the program was evaluated from both nurses and patients who received the nutritional support. This study provides preliminary evidence on the feasibility and potential effectiveness of a nurse-led nutritional training program and supports the integration of structured nutritional care into routine oncology practice.
Detailed description
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of a co-designed nutritional training program for oncology nurses in Vietnam. The intervention was developed using a co-design approach involving patients, nurses, dietitians, and other healthcare professionals to ensure relevance, feasibility, and cultural appropriateness. The study employed a single-group pre-post intervention design and was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital in Vietnam. A convenience sample of oncology nurses participated in the training program. The intervention consisted of a three-day training workshop, including theoretical education on cancer-related nutrition and supervised clinical practice sessions. During the clinical component, nurses applied their knowledge in real patient interactions under supervision, using a structured checklist to guide nutritional assessment and counselling. Following the training, nurses delivered nutritional support to patients with cancer experiencing treatment-related symptoms, including gastrointestinal and oral complications affecting dietary intake. The intervention focused on symptom-based dietary management strategies, practical counselling techniques, and patient-centered communication. The primary outcomes were changes in nurses' knowledge and self-confidence in providing nutritional support, measured before and after the training program. Secondary outcomes included nurses' clinical practice performance, assessed using a standardized observational checklist, and the acceptability of the intervention among both nurses and patients. Patient participants received nutritional support as part of routine care delivered by trained nurses. Acceptability was assessed one week after the intervention using a structured questionnaire to evaluate perceived usefulness, clarity, and applicability of the dietary guidance. This study provides preliminary evidence on the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of a nurse-led, co-designed nutritional training program. The findings support the role of oncology nurses in delivering structured nutritional care and highlight the potential for integrating such interventions into routine clinical practice, particularly in resource-constrained settings.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCo-Designed Nutritional Training Program
The intervention is a co-designed nutritional training program for oncology nurses developed through stakeholder engagement, including patients and healthcare professionals. The program consists of a three-day workshop combining theoretical education and supervised clinical practice. The training focuses on symptom-based nutritional management for cancer patients, including dietary strategies for common treatment-related symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, and oral complications. Nurses are trained to use a structured checklist to guide nutritional assessment, identify patient needs, and provide tailored counselling. Following the training, nurses apply the acquired knowledge and skills during real patient interactions in routine clinical care, delivering individualized nutritional support based on patients' symptoms and conditions.
Sponsors
VinUniversity
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
A single-group pre-post intervention design in which all participants receive the training program, with outcomes assessed before and after the intervention.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Registered oncology nurses involved in direct patient care * Working in oncology departments at the study site * Willing to participate in the training program and evaluation
Exclusion criteria
* Nurses not involved in direct patient care * Nurses unable to attend the full training program * Nurses who decline to participate
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Nutritional Knowledge Score | Baseline (pre-intervention) and 7 days post-intervention | Nutritional knowledge of oncology nurses measured using a 25-item structured questionnaire assessing knowledge of cancer-related nutrition and dietary management. Scores range from 0 to 50, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge. |
| Change in Self-Confidence in Providing Nutritional Support | Baseline (pre-intervention) and 7 days post-intervention | Self-reported confidence of oncology nurses measured using a 17-item Likert scale assessing confidence in delivering nutritional support for cancer-related symptoms. Each item is rated from 1 (not confident at all) to 5 (very confident), with higher scores indicating greater confidence. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Practice Performance Score | Immediately post-intervention during supervised clinical practice | Nurses' competency in delivering nutritional support assessed using a standardized observational checklist during real patient interactions. The checklist includes 8 key tasks scored from 0 to 2, with total scores ranging from 0 to 16. Higher scores indicate better performance. |
| Acceptability of the Training Program | One week after intervention delivery | Acceptability of the intervention assessed among nurses and patients using the Intervention Rating Profile (IRP-15). The scale includes 15 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater acceptability. |
Countries
Vietnam
Contacts
STUDY_CHAIRLan Van Hoang, Dr
Phenikaa University
Outcome results
None listed