Abstract

• The purpose of this study was to exame the effectiveness of the hand massage as an independent nursing intervention for the cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. The data were collected with quasiexperimental research design from 40 subjects -20 for experimental group and 20 for control group -of the radiation oncology department of one university hospital in Seoul from January 10th to March 29th, 1994. Subjects agreed to participate in this study and ranged in age from 18 to 82 years with mean age of 52.63. They had insight of their disease and had undergone radiotherapy at least twice. The hand massage developed by Mariah Snyder (1993) based on the Swedish Massage was administered to the experimental group prior to having radiation therapy at the waiting place of radiotherapy room. Hand massage was given to each hand of patient for five minutes once a day. Measurement of the patient's blood pressure, pulse rate, state anxiety and mood were done before and after the administration of hand massage for 5 days. The data were analyzed with paired t-test, t-test and the results were summarized as follows; 1. After administration of the hand massage, the diastolic blood pressure of experimental group was decreased significantly, while the systolic blood pressure and the pulse rate were decreased, but not significantaly. 2. In the experimental group, the level of anxiety was significantaly lower than control group. The mean scores of the difference of the anxiety level after having hand massage was 8.60 in the experimental group and 0.75 in the control group. 3. The difference of the mood scores before and after the massage in the experimental group was decreased significantly. The mean mood score was decreased 4.80 in the experimental group as compared with 2.02 in the control group. 4. The patients after having the hand massage expressed subjectively their feeling of relaxation, well-being and being enjoyable, the significant decreased of physical symptoms and anxiety. The findings summarized that the use of the hand massage for the cancer patient undergoing radiation therapy produced significant changes in the level of anxiety and relaxation. Therefore it is recommended to use the hand massage as an intervention for the patients.

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