Women's lived experiences with nurse-supported digital rehabilitation after gynaecological cancer: A phenomenological hermeneutic study

Gynaecological cancer survivors face various post-treatment challenges, including physical, psychological, social and existential difficulties. Despite existing follow-up, many women experience unmet needs and lack of rehabilitation services. In the present study, we aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of how participation in Gynea, a nurse-supported digital rehabilitation program, is experienced after gynaecological cancer treatment. Through in-depth interviews with 20 women, four main themes emerged from a phenomenological hermeneutic analysis. The theme Vital but demanding work described participation as beneficial but emotionally demanding. The theme Normalisation leading to self-compassion and acceptance showed that shared experiences helped women normalise and accept changes. The theme It takes time to digest described the need for individual time processing the cancer experience. The last theme Nursing support as essential in digital rehabilitation , described nursing support as providing safety, guidance and motivation. Overall, participation helped alleviate some of the existential distress following illness and treatment, with nursing support crucial for engagement and completement of the programme. We used the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) to support the research process and ensure transparency in our work. Trial Registration: The Gynea project is registered as a clinical trial, ID: NCT 04414436, https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04414436 .