Oncology nursing forum
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To explore the prevalence and intensity of depression, fatigue, and pain in survivors of lung cancer; to examine the relationship of symptoms in a cluster; and to examine the relationship of the symptom cluster to quality of life (QOL). ⋯ Healthcare providers must assess the potential for symptoms to cluster, adversely affecting key patient outcomes such as QOL. Through increased knowledge of symptom clusters, clinicians will be able to more effectively target the most distressing set of symptoms for intervention.
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Oncology nursing forum · Jul 2006
Biomarkers, fatigue, sleep, and depressive symptoms in women with breast cancer: a pilot study.
To evaluate the changes in reports of fatigue, sleep disturbances, and depressive symptoms and serum cortisol, melatonin, serotonin, and bilirubin during adjuvant chemotherapy in women with breast cancer and to determine whether any correlations exist between the symptom parameters and biomarkers. ⋯ Data help to explain a mechanism that may underlie fatigue, sleep, and depressive symptoms and provide a theoretical framework from which to establish evidence-based interventions for symptom management.
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Oncology nursing forum · Jul 2006
Comparative StudySleep-wake disturbances and quality of life in patients with advanced lung cancer.
To examine the scope and severity of subjective sleep-wake disturbances in patients with lung cancer and compare them to a group of healthy adults who were similar in age, gender, and race, and to examine the impact of sleep-wake disturbances on measures of health-related quality of life (QOL). ⋯ The magnitude of nocturnal sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness identified in this study reinforces the importance of ongoing screening and effective intervention for sleep-wake disturbances in patients with lung cancer.
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Oncology nursing forum · Jul 2006
Family perspectives on communication with healthcare providers during end-of-life cancer care.
To assess healthcare provider communication about end-of-life (EOL) and hospice care with patients with terminal cancer and their families, from the perspective of the family members. ⋯ Study findings highlight the importance of training healthcare professionals in the content, timing, and potential biases associated with information delivery to facilitate informed decisions about EOL and hospice care to dying patients and their families.
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Oncology nursing forum · Jul 2006
Development and testing of the spiritual needs inventory for patients near the end of life.
To develop and test an instrument to measure the spiritual needs of patients near the end of life. ⋯ Nurses must recognize the spiritual needs of all patients, particularly those near the end of life. The SNI may be useful in the clinical setting as well as in future studies of spiritual needs of patients.