Caring for a Spouse after Prostate Surgery: The Preparedness Needs of Wives

Abstract

This study describes wives' self-reports of preparedness to care for their husbands' physical and emotional needs during the first 6 months after surgery for prostate cancer. The research questions addressed in this article are part of a larger study designed to test the effects of a standardized nursing intervention protocol (SNIP) on quality-of-life outcomes in men postprostatectomy. The Preparedness for Caregiving Scale (PCGS) was administered to wives, and an open-ended questionnaire solicited wives' descriptions of how they felt unprepared. The results suggest that nursing services are needed after hospital discharge to support patients and family caregivers to manage the physical and emotional effects related to the cancer diagnosis and treatment. The information gained can be used to refine a home-based nursing intervention to facilitate caregivers' preparedness to enhance patients' physical function and psychosocial adaptation, and ultimately the couple's quality of life.