Conclusion Within the constraints of the study and the few quality papers available, it appeared that personal
characteristics of patients and nurses are the key factors that influence effective nurse–patient communication within
the oncology setting. Very little evidence exists to explain the role of environment in effective nurse–patient
communication, particularly within an Asian setting.
Implications for practice Training can be implemented to inform nurses about the communication challenges,
to equip them with effective communication skills and improve their receptivity to patient cues. Informationsharing
can be used as a non-threatening approach to initiate rapport-building and open communication. Nurses
should consider patients’ psychological readiness to communicate and respect their preference as to whom they
wish to share their thoughts/emotions with. Hospitals/institutions also need to ensure a supportive ward culture and
appropriate workload that will enable nurses to provide holistic care to patients.