Moving Beyond Suffering: the Experiences of Thai Persons With Advanced Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a leading cause of death in Thailand; however, little research is available that describes the end-of-life experiences of cancer patients. Data presented here are part of a descriptive qualitative study that investigated dying experiences in patients with advanced cancer. Two core themes were identified-living with suffering and moving beyond suffering. In this publication, we focus on 1 of the core themes: moving beyond suffering. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore how Thai persons with advanced cancer move beyond suffering at the end of their life. METHODS: A series of interviews and observations were conducted on 15 patients with terminal advanced cancer. The informants were followed through from the point of referral at the hospital to their death at home or in hospital. An inductive qualitative analysis was applied. RESULTS: Thai persons with advanced cancer tried to find ways to go on living with suffering. Three themes emerged from the interview data: adopting religious doctrine, being hopeful, and being surrounded by the love and care of the family. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the roles of religious faith and spirituality in helping Thai patients transcend suffering and move on toward their end of life. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurses need to be sensitive toward the religious faiths of their patients and provide culturally appropriate care for them. Nursing interventions to maintain hope and connectedness should be promoted by respecting the patients' expressions of hope and supporting the involvement of family members in end-of-life care.