Benchmark – Nursing Process: Approach to Care
Benchmark – Nursing Process: Approach to Care – Write a paper (1,750-2,000 words) on cancer and approach to care based on the utilization of the nursing process…
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Benchmark – Nursing Process: Approach to Care
Paper details
The nursing process is a tool that puts knowledge into practice. By utilizing this systematic problem-solving method, nurses can determine the health care needs of an individual and provide personalized care.
Write a paper (1,750-2,000 words) on cancer and approach to care based on the utilization of the nursing process. Include the following in your paper:
1. Describe the diagnosis and staging of cancer.
2. Describe at least three complications of cancer, the side effects of treatment, and methods to lessen physical and psychological effects.
3. Discuss what factors contribute to the yearly incidence and mortality rates of various cancers in Americans.
4. Explain how the American Cancer Society (ACS) might provide education and support. What ACS services would you recommend and why?
5. Explain how the nursing process is utilized to provide safe and effective care for cancer patients across the life span. Your explanation should include each of the five phases and demonstrate the delivery of holistic and patient-focused care.
6. Discuss how undergraduate education in liberal arts and science studies contributes to the foundation of nursing knowledge and prepares nurses to work with patients utilizing the nursing process. Consider mathematics, social and physical sciences, and science studies as an interdisciplinary research area.
You are required to cite to a minimum of four sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and relevant to nursing practice.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
Benchmark Information
This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies:
RN-BSN
2.1: Incorporate liberal arts and science studies into nursing knowledge.
3.1 Utilize the nursing process to provide safe and effective care for patients across the life span.
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Solution
Diagnosis and staging of cancer
A cancer diagnosis is a stepwise process that begins with physical examination and imaging tests to determine lumps that might be cancerous, including abnormalities such as organ enlargement and changes in skin color (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2015). The imaging tests involve a noninvasive examination of bones and internal organs. The standard method of conducting imaging tests includes, among others, Ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computerized tomography (CT) (National Cancer Institute [NCI], 2019).
Consequently, an expert view of cells and tissue samples (commonly known as a biopsy) is carried in a laboratory under a microscope. In some instances, samples could be proteins, DNA, and RNA from cells. Notably, cancerous cells have no distinctive organization and vary in sizes under a microscope. A biopsy is the only definitive method of diagnosing cancer.
Cancer staging determines the size of the tumor and the presence of local invasion and metastasis tumor (NCI, 2015). The stage of cancer is critical in deciding cancer’s seriousness, the chances of survival, and the best treatment plan. Staging is carried out by many systems, often specific to a given type of cancer.
The most common one is the tumor, nodes, and metastasis (TNM) system primarily used to carry out staging and determine the presence, absence, or extent of the primary, secondary and distant tumors (NCI, 2015). The TNM system is functional in providing a vivid description of cancer grouped as Stage 0, Stages I – III, and Stage IV. Other staging systems have different descriptions for stages of cancerous cells. Each stage represents a grading level of the nature of cancerous cells.
Cancer complications, side effects, and methods of lessening physical and psychological effects
Cancer can cause several complications to a patient. One major complication of cancer is its recurrence (Demaria, 2017). Some types of cancers tend to recur, thus requires periodic scans and exams. Another significant complication of cancer is the central and peripheral neurotoxicity caused by anticancer drugs.
The effect of cancer on the central and peripheral nervous system can reduce patients’ functional capacity and quality of life. Specifically, studies have shown that chemotherapy can cause persistent cognitive dysfunction (Demaria, 2017). The complication can be prevented by using genetic polymorphisms, which identifies patients likely to experience cognitive dysfunction.
Most cancer treatments have side effects. One common side effect of cancer treatment is nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy (Nurgali, 2018). However, the contemporary treatments of cancer aimed at controlling nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy are sufficient. It is vital to note that when the treatment of nausea and vomiting is delayed, it can be more challenging to manage (Nurgali, 2018).
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Another side effect of cancer treatment is associated with chemotherapy’s impact on the average chemical balance in the body, thus, increasing the risk of severe side effects. For instance, chemotherapy and radiography treatment causes hair loss. Asthenia is another common side effect of chemotherapy.
Asthenia is severe fatigue that can persist for long after chemotherapy (Demaria, 2017). It is caused by oral and gastrointestinal mucositis, which causes primary ulceration and pain, leading to excessive fatigue (Nurgali, 2018). Most genotoxic chemotherapies cause senescence of normal tissues. Many chemotherapeutic drugs alter cellular states, including the induction of senescence in cancer cells.
Factors contributing to the yearly incidence and mortality rates of various cancers in Americans
Various factors contribute to the many incidences and mortality associated with cancers in the USA. According to the American Cancer Society, sedentary lifestyles, heredity, aging population, and low quality of life are the primary causal factors of cancers (ACS, 2018). When people have unhealthy eating habits, they are predisposed to overweight and obesity, which are risk factors for cancer (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018).
Though many Americans had ceased smoking since the 1980s when lung cancer was reported to be caused by cigarette smoking, the numbers of those effects are still high. Notably, overweight and obesity, predispose people to various cancers, including breast, kidney, and colorectal, listed as significant contributors to cancer deaths (CDC, 2018). Moreover, infections also contribute to a significant number of cancer deaths. For instance, drinking causes infection of the liver leading to liver cancer, which is listed as a significant cause of death in the USA (CDC, 2018).
Implementing stringent policies is the best way of preventing many cancer deaths (Cancer Action Network [CAN], 2017). Such policies include expansion of Medicare insurance to cover clinical preventive services and vaccines, zero cost-sharing in Medicare, cessation of tobacco coverage in Medicare, and the institution of public health fund (CAN, 2017). Other policies should also guide the production of food material to eliminate the consumption of carcinogenic substances.
Explain how the American Cancer Society (ACS) might provide education and support. What ACS services would you recommend, and why?
Most cancer cases are chronic, life-threatening, and expensive to treat. As such, a holistic support framework is a necessity to manage and treat the condition. The ACS has a resource and information center for cancer, from which cancer patients and families get information on their cancer experience. The ACS’s primary goal is to help the affected cope with palliative care, the disease’s burden, and how to deal with eventual loss.
The ACS provides support and education by acting as a link between cancer patients to different services, thus, fundamental for diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. This is vital to the patient as they can make informed decisions on their care and treatment. The support also provides awareness of common questions asked by patients.
For instance, the 24hr helpline allows affected individuals or caregivers to seek advice on diagnosis, treatments, and emotional support (ACS, 2020). Besides, the ACS’s support team provides patients with access to a live chat and phone call. During engagements, the support team involves specialists with vast information on cancer.
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Furthermore, the ACS provides a 5year guideline and annual reviews on the medical and scientific literature vital in bringing new changes to the current management guidelines and information about a diagnosis, screening, and treatment that should be conveyed to practitioners and the targeted population (Smith et al., 2015).
Similarly, the ACS provides information on care centers, educational material on treatment, and the side effects of different therapies (ACS, 2020). ACS guides how clinical trials are carried out and helps patients or caregivers identify studies they can participate in. These publications have information on different cancer types, coping mechanisms, and prevention measures.
Additionally, the organization offers other programs and services such as information on lodging services from which patients can reside while getting treatment far away from home. Other services include managing hair loss and mastectomy products, keeping up with therapy, online peer support groups, and social services. I would recommend Breast cancer support to women facing possible breast cancer or those diagnosed with breast cancer.
Through volunteers who are mainly survivors of breast cancer, this program offers patients the opportunity to express their feelings, concerns and seek answers to their conditions (ACS, 2020). In the past decade, breast cancer has been the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Therefore, the program is significant in lowering the burden caused by breast cancer conditions and related mortality.
Utilization of the nursing process for safe and effective care for cancer patients across the life span.
The contemporary scientific evidence indicates that nursing intervention positively affects the current evidence suggests that nursing intervention contributes to the positive health outcomes for patients (McCorkle et al., 2015). As a tool, the nursing process promotes evidence-based practice; thus, nurses are primly positioned to identify and address individual cancer patients. According to Zhou et al. (2017), the clinical pathway can significantly enhance care quality. Since humans are habitual beings, we tend to rely entirely on traditions that are well known to us, where nursing comes in.
Other studies have shown that nursing follow-up activities of cancer patients through home visits and the provision of additional resources initiated by the hospitals enhance the quality of care. The nursing process constitutes six stages, including assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The process functions as a problem-solving tool with which nurses can think critically and practice expertly. Therefore, the nursing process can be used to identify interventions.
Patients that require advanced care often develop with advanced cancer frequently develop distressing psychological and physical symptoms. Such patients require person-centered assessment and management. Lessening the physical and psychological effects of cancer requires expert nursing and managing chronic and progressive diseases. Stage 0 and 1 of cancer are highly curable by contemporary chemotherapy when carried out in time (American Society of Clinical Oncology [ASCO], 2018). Usually, the early stages of cancer require surgery or radiation to eliminate the tumor.
In some cases, hormonal therapy is recommended to treat recurrence and lessen symptoms (NCI, 2015). Stage II to IV of cancer indicates extensive growth of tumors beyond immediate regions and requires comprehensive care. Despite the advancement, stage II to IV cancers are still treatable and requires surgery, radiation, and hormone or chemical therapy depending on the diagnosis. Moreover, patients should surround themselves with support systems, including cancer survivors, family, and friends.
Another significant way of reducing the effects of cancer throughout all stages is adequate nutrition (ASCO, 2018). Cancer causes the disintegration of cells, often leading to unprecedented rapid weight loss and interferes with digestive organs (Ambroggi et al., 2018). An appropriate diet is necessary to manage the effects of cancer on the digestive system.
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Palliative care has been shown to help patients have control of their pain and distressing symptoms. For instance, palliative care nurses can employ interpersonal skills and qualities such as charisma, compassion, and genuineness to give hope to terminally ill cancer patients.
Significance of liberal arts and science studies on nursing practice
Besides the technical skills and knowledge, nursing requires critical thinking, cultural competency, and effective communication. Nursing practitioners are expected to possess an extensive skill set to navigate the complexity of practice situations, including challenging clinical scenarios, the need to collaborate with other professionals, and the use of emotional intelligence. This is because nurses interact with various kinds of patients with significant yet different sociocultural affiliations and different age groups, which requires holistic care (Kooken & Kerr, 2018).
According to Rieger et al. (2019), art-based programs allow students to muse through different artistic learning mediums, transforming how they see and express clinical situations and social justices. The different perspectives of handling clinical experiences intrigue conceptual thinking to match clinical concepts in a meaningful way. For instance, religion and cross-culture nursing enables emotional connection with patients, self-expression of emotions, and the intrinsic emotional language.
Learning from a cultural perspective is eye-opening as students can learn different customs and belief systems, which changes the way nurses perceive clinical instances in practice. Moreover, leadership skills developed from the liberal arts courses enable nurses to communicate effectively, think widely, navigate novel situations, make favorable judgments, improve patients’ health, and enhance the relationship colleagues.
Science programs encourage critical thinking (Kooken & Kerr, 2018). Mathematics is essential to understanding quantitative data from patients, and research studies are necessary for nursing practice. Nursing is about following guidelines and searching for evidence-based practices valid and reliable for specific clinical cases. Nursing involves caring in a complex environment and for diverse situations (Kooken & Kerr, 2018). Thinking ability enables nurses to ask questions when necessary, appraise situations, and determine the most plausible solutions. Therefore, nurses can grow their competency, which is critical for improved patient health outcomes.
References
- Ambroggi, M., Biasini, C., Toscani, I., Orlandi, E., Berte, R., Mazzari, M., & Cavanna, L. (2018). Can early palliative care with anticancer treatment improve overall survival and patient-related outcomes in advanced lung cancer patients? A review of the literature. Supportive Care in Cancer, 26(9), 2945-2953. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4303-1.
- American Cancer Society. (2015, July 30). How Is Cancer Diagnosed? https://www.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/tests/testing-biopsy-and-cytology-specimens-for-cancer/how-is-cancer-diagnosed.html
- American Cancer Society. (2020, September 23). How we are providing support. https://www.cancer.org/about-us/what-we-do/providing-support.html
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (2018, March).Stages of Cancer. https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/diagnosing-cancer/stages-cancer
- Cancer Action Network. (2017, January 10). Health Care Delivery Prevention and Early Detection. https://www.acscan.org/policy-resources/strong-prevention-policies-will-reduce-cancer-burden
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, August 16). Expected New Cancer Cases and Deaths in 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/research/articles/cancer_2020.htm.
- Demaria, M., O’Leary, M. N., Chang, J., Shao, L., Liu, S. U., Alimirah, F., … & Alston, S. (2017). Cellular senescence promotes adverse effects of chemotherapy and cancer relapse. Cancer Discovery, 7(2), 165-176. https://doi.10.1158/2159-8290
- Kooken, W. C., & Kerr, N. (2018). Blending the liberal arts and nursing: Creating a portrait for the 21st century. Journal of Professional Nursing, 34(1), 60-64. https://doi.10.1016/j.profnurs.2017.07.002
- Kuhle, C. L., Kapoor, E., Sood, R., Thielen, J. M., Jatoi, A., & Faubion, S. S. (2016). Menopausal hormone therapy in cancer survivors: a narrative review of the literature. Maturitas, 92, 86-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.07.018
- Are you looking for answers to a similar assignment? Our team has competent and qualified writers to help with any of your assignments. All you need to do is place an order with us (Benchmark – Nursing Process: Approach to Care).
- McCorkle, R., Jeon, S., Ercolano, E., Lazenby, M., Reid, A., Davies, M. … & Gettinger, S. (2015). An advanced practice nurse coordinated multidisciplinary intervention for patients with late-stage cancer: a cluster randomized trial. Journal of palliative medicine, 18(11), 962-969. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2015.0113
- National Cancer Institute. (2015, April 29). Hormone Therapy. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/hormone-therapy
- National Cancer Institute. (2015, March 9). Cancer Staging. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging
- National Cancer Institute. (2019, September 22). How is Cancer Diagnosed? https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/diagnosis.
- Nurgali, K., Jagoe, R. T., & Abalo, R. (2018). Adverse effects of cancer chemotherapy: Anything new to improve tolerance and reduce sequelae?. Frontiers in pharmacology, 9, 245. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.00245
- Rieger, K. L., Chernomas, W. M., McMillan, D. E., & Morin, F. L. (2019). The arts as a catalyst for learning with undergraduate nursing students: findings from a constructivist grounded theory study. Arts & health, 1-20.
- Smith, R. A., Manassaram‐Baptiste, D., Brooks, D., Doroshenk, M., Fedewa, S., Saslow, D., … & Wender, R. (2015). Cancer screening in the United States, 2015: a review of current American cancer society guidelines and current issues in cancer screening. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 65(1), 30-54.
- Zhou, J., Ruan, J., Liao, R., & Wu, X. (2017). Application of clinical pathway management in the training and practice of nursing staff for cancer patients.
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