“A small cog in a large wheel” : an exploratory study into the experiences of porters, ward clerks and domestics working in an English Cancer Centre

Mack, Hazel and Froggatt, Katherine and McClinton, Pam (2003) “A small cog in a large wheel” : an exploratory study into the experiences of porters, ward clerks and domestics working in an English Cancer Centre. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 7 (3). pp. 153-161. ISSN 1462-3889

Abstract

The effect of working in an oncology environment on nurses has been widely researched but the experiences of non-clinical staff such as ancillary workers in the oncology environment have rarely been examined. This exploratory study had three aims: to explore ancillary workers’ understandings of cancer, their experiences of working in a Cancer Centre and their training and support needs. Working within a naturalistic paradigm, a descriptive exploratory design was utilised employing in-depth interviews and drawing on aspects of grounded theory for data analysis. Findings indicated that these ancillary workers lacked an in-depth understanding of cancer. The experience of working in a Cancer Centre appeared to bring both costs and benefits to these ancillary workers. These ancillary workers enjoyed the level of contact they have with patients in a Cancer Centre and subsequently ascribed great value to their jobs. However, they felt that health-care professional colleagues did not always value their contribution to the care of patients. There are implications for nurses and other health-care staff working in oncology alongside these ancillary staff in terms of valuing and supporting them in the work that they do.