[Elaboration of a conceptual frame to explain fatigue secondary to a health difficulty and implications for nursing practice]

Abstract

Many definitions and conceptual frameworks were developed on fatigue related to health problems, mostly from scientific research among cancer patients. From a summary of a literature review, the first objective of this article is to describe different theoretical perspectives on the concept of fatigue. The second objective is to elaborate an integrative conceptual framework from the definitions chosen. The third objective is to describe different coping strategies and nursing interventions in relation with the conceptual framework. The literature review includes studies on fatigue in general with an emphasis on cancer related fatigue in particular. The review was conducted from 3 scientific data bases, Medline, Cinahl and Psychlit, for the last twenty years. The relevance of the conceptual framework for nursing intervention is discussed.