Oncology nursing forum
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Oncology nursing forum · Jul 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialIntervention to improve psychological functioning for newly diagnosed patients with cancer.
To test the effects of a computer-based nursing intervention designed to provide patients and family caregivers with concrete, objective information on symptom management; provide education about disease and treatment; coordinate medical resources; and provide emotional support and counseling. ⋯ This nurse-directed intervention resulted in improved mental health for patients; however, physical subscales were not changed. Further work is needed to determine why depression and mental health were affected yet physical health and symptoms did not differ between groups. Results support the important role of nurses in addressing mental health issues in patients and families experiencing cancer.
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Oncology nursing forum · Jul 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialPain and fatigue management: results of a nursing randomized clinical trial.
Through a randomized clinical trial, to compare patients undergoing an initial course of chemotherapy who report pain and fatigue at baseline and who are receiving conventional care alone with those receiving conventional care plus a nursing intervention on outcomes reported at 20 weeks. ⋯ These data support the "value-added" role of nursing interventions for symptom management and improved quality of life during the course of cancer treatment.
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To describe the experience of families when a member is diagnosed with cancer. ⋯ Nurses can facilitate patient and family learning by considering the interactive manner in which families acquire information. By acknowledging how past experiences with cancer inform the present, nurses can help families identify beliefs influencing the illness experience. By including families in teaching sessions; facilitating communication between patients, families, physicians, and nurses; and providing take-home learning materials, nurses can facilitate shared information gathering. Nurses should acknowledge the value of learning about illness by experience, accept patients and families as experts, and encourage revelation of patients' and families' perspectives of the illness to enhance feedback on support and coping.