Background & Aim: Increase in cancer prevalence results in feeling fear of being diagnosed with cancer among individuals. Understanding concerns of patients diagnosed with cancer helps health care professionals to provide appropriate caring plans. This study aimed to understand main concerns of patients who confront cancer diagnosis.

Methods & Materials: This was a qualitative study with content analysis approach. Fifteen patients with cancer were selected from a specialized hospital, an oncology clinic, and Emdad Center of Cancer patients in Sari using a purposeful sampling method during May 2011 to June 2012. The sample size was completed regarding data saturation. Data were collected using interviews, observations and recording field notes. All interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using descriptive content analysis and the Granhim and Landmann method.

Results: Three categories including 485 primary codes were emerged. The derived codes were as follows: 1) sever personal and family disturbance 2) imagination of despair and 3) unclear imagination of future. The main code included in all derived codes was life threatening nature of cancer.

Conclusion: The findings showed that life threatening nature of cancer is a source of fear that makes the disease frightening. Clinical staff and nurses should pay more attention to concerns of patients with cancer and design their care plan accordingly.

Background & Aim: Post-traumatic stress disorder is one of the psychiatric disorders and exposure to trauma is a key factor in its development. This disorder affects important aspects of a person’s life such as professional quality of life. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms and professional quality of life among psychiatric nurses.

Methods & Materials: In this descriptive analytical study, 160 nurses in psychiatric wards affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences, were selected using census sampling in 2013. Data were collected using questionnaires including professional and demographic characteristics, the Weathers’ PTSD checklist (PCL-C) and Hudnall Stamm’s Professional Quality of Life (PQOL). Data were analyzed by the SPSS software v.20 using the Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA and linear regression.

Results: There was a significant correlation between PTSD score and professional quality of life scores in psychiatric nurses (r=0.32, P<0.001). Also, PTSD was positively correlated with burnout (r=0.36, P<0.001) and secondary traumatic stress (r=0.61, P<0.001), and conversely correlated with compassion satisfaction (r=-0.29, P<0.001). After removing the effects of age, work experience, previous experience of traumatic events, the correlation between two main research variables was significant as well (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Post-traumatic stress has a correlation with professional quality of life in psychiatric nurses. Therefore, factors related to PTSD are suggested to be identified and prevented.