Individual Empowerment among Chinese Cancer Patients in Hong Kong

Abstract

Among the various chronic diseases, cancer is the leading cause of death in Hong Kong. This article presents the process of how cancer patients are being enabled and strengthened to overcome powerlessness based on the interviewfindings of 12 participants. Interviews were analyzed using constant comparison. The basic social process of empowerment included finding meaning in life, seeking mastery over illness, and acceptance of illness. This study’s unique findings suggest that the process of empowering cancer patients consists of more than giving patients control, choice, or resources, such as knowledge and skills. Nurses have an important role in facilitating patients to find meaning in life, as well as in the transformation of thoughts and attitudes. Nurses’ personal qualities and skills embedded in the nurse-patient relationship constitute an important source of empowerment for patients.

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