Group dream work: a holistic resource for oncology nurses.

Marlene Zichi Cohen, Mickey Bumbaugh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore dream work as a possible means for nurses to increase self-understanding and problem solving in personal and professional life. DESIGN: Hermeneutic phenomenologic, descriptive, and interpretive. SETTING: A comprehensive cancer center in the southern United States. SAMPLE: Six nurses with a mean age of 40 and 1-10 years of oncology nursing experience. METHODS: Interviews, guided by descriptive and interpretive phenomenology, were conducted with nurses before and one and six months after they participated in eight weekly sessions of a group focused on dream work. Phenomenologic analysis was done on verbatim transcriptions of all interviews. FINDINGS: Nurses found value in participating in dream groups, including having more open discussions about feelings and death, managing difficult situations, and attending to patients in the present. CONCLUSIONS: The value of learning to attend to dreams may be subtle but has value to nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Incorporating dream work is one holistic intervention that may be useful to improve job satisfaction, communication, and relationships in this time of nursing shortage.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)817-824
Number of pages8
JournalOncology nursing forum
Volume31
Issue number4
StatePublished - Jul 2004

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology(nursing)

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