Abstract: Objective: To explore the decision-making experience of cancer patients facing different Central Vascular Access Devices (CVAD), and to provide a theoretical basis for constructing a clinical decision support program. Methods: Using purposive sampling method, 16 cancer patients with CVAD implantation, who attended a tertiary grade A general hospital in Zhejiang province from April to August 2023 were recruited as the study participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interview data were organized by Nvivo software, and the data were analyzed by Colaizzi 7-step analysis method. Results: The decision-making experience of cancer patients facing different CVAD was grouped into three thematic clusters: ①decision-making needs, including the need for knowledge and information, the need for communication between healthcare professionals and patients, the need for decision time, etc;②decision-making support, including the support of healthcare resources and the support of the family and society; and③decision-making outcomes, including active patient participation, shared patients participation with healthcare professionals, and passive patient participation in the decision-making process. Conclusion: There are multiple decision-making needs during the decision-making of cancer patients with CVAD, and their decision-making participation is individualized, but there are limitations in the existing decision-making support, so healthcare professionals should consciously assess the extent to which cancer patients expect to participate in decision-making about CVAD, and provide corresponding decision-making support to meet their decision-making needs.

Key words: Central Vascular Access Device, nursing decision, experience, qualitative research, oncologic nursing care