PhD defended on “samvalg” for incurable cancer patients Jannicke Rabben, 49, completed her dissertation on shared decision‑making—called “samvalg” in Norwegian—and examined nurses’ contributions to these processes [1].
Two decades of cancer‑care experience informed the research She spent ten years as a cancer nurse and another ten at the Norwegian Cancer Society (Kreftforeningen), focusing on user perspectives, which motivated her study [1].
Methodology combined literature review and two interview studies The work began with a synthesis of prior qualitative research, followed by interviews with patients and relatives in one study and with nurses in another [1].
Findings reveal complex, uncertain life‑and‑death decisions Participants reported feeling ill‑equipped to voice opinions; nurses encountered ethical dilemmas and sometimes observed patients receiving unbalanced information, questioning their own mandate to supplement doctors [1].
Relatives often feel sidelined in the decision process Many family members described staying on the sidelines, acknowledging the patient’s authority while rarely expressing their own views openly [1].
Rabben returns to University of Agder with new responsibilities After submitting the dissertation in August, she resumed a permanent role at the university, taking on additional tasks and helping run a master’s program in cancer nursing; she took a summer vacation before final submission [1].