'n Verpleegkundige ondersteuningsprogram vir vroue met primêre karsinoom van die mammae

English: All women with breast cancer need support to deal with the combined impact of the diagnosis of cancer, breast loss, adjuvant treatment and the possible recurrence of the disease. The women need to adjust to live with and accept these factors. As discussed in the literature, nursing staff do not always give the necessary emotional support. Research results show that there is a difference between women's need for support and that which is given by the nursing staff. The aim of the study is to develop a nursing support program for women with primary breast cancer. A descriptive study was done using a qualitative research design. Free attitude interviews were used to collect data from women with primary breast cancer who are being treated by private oncologists and radiation oncologists in the Pretoria area. The phenomenalogical perspective of Haase and Van Kaam were used in combination for data analysis. According to the data it clearly appears that the support of the nursing 'staff consists of direct nursing support initiated by the nursing staff with the woman, in order to assist the woman to adjust to her illness, and the effects thereof. The core of the direct nursing support is communication, accompaniment and information. The woman's external environment is involved during indirect nursing support. Although the women's needs can be generalised, each woman requires specific and individual care. These support needs vary at times. A nursing support program for women with primary breast cancer was developed after comparing the collected data with the literature. By following this program, the nursing staff can teach the women to adjust to and to accept the emotional as well as the social impact of the diagnosis, breast loss and the adjuvant treatment. The women learn to live with a diagnosis of cancer despite a fear for recurrence.