Oncology nursing forum
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Oncology nurses have consistently identified relief of pain as a major priority for their specialty. Although many articles provide nurses with advice on ways to improve pain management for people with cancer, few address the practicality and likelihood of these strategies being implemented by an individual nurse. Oncology nurses in advanced practice roles are often in ideal situations to effect some of the positive, broad changes that are needed to improve pain relief. This paper describes the unique contribution that nurses in advanced practice roles can make to pain management and offers a prescription for leadership in practice that can enhance effective pain management for people with cancer.
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Oncology nursing forum · Jun 1992
Management of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting using a serotonin antagonist.
Patients receiving chemotherapy continue to experience nausea and vomiting despite recent strides to understand the physiology of these symptoms and despite current antiemetic therapies. Ondansetron, a serotonin antagonist, has shown to be a safe and effective drug in alleviating nausea and vomiting. This research-synthesis article provides summaries of eight clinical trials completed between 1988 and 1991. It includes a discussion of the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of ondansetron, suggestions for adverse events, and implications for nursing practice and future research.
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Oncology nursing forum · Apr 1992
Implementation of the American Pain Society Quality Assurance Standards for Relief of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain in oncology nursing practice.
Cancer pain represents a high-incidence problem that requires ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The recently published American Pain Society Quality Assurance Standards for Relief of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain provides an excellent basis for developing a quality assurance (QA) program in cancer pain assessment and management. ⋯ The Oncology Nursing Society Position Paper on Cancer Pain and the American Nurses Association/Oncology Nursing Society Standards of Oncology Nursing Practice are incorporated into the framework to develop specific monitoring criteria. Practical suggestions are provided for implementing a QA program on cancer pain in a variety of oncology practice settings, using the standards of the American Pain Society.
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Oncology nursing forum · Apr 1992
The use of distraction and imagery with children during painful procedures.
The effectiveness of a pediatric pain management program was examined using a multiple case study design. This study examined both the children's pain experience during cancer treatment, as well as their parents' anxiety and behavioral stress. Fourteen children were videotaped while receiving lumbar punctures during an 8-12 month period. ⋯ Parents reported high-trait, low-state anxiety scores that were stable over time. They were observed to be very supportive during the procedures. Implications for further research in this area and recommendations for practice are presented.
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Oncology nursing forum · Jan 1992
Creating our future: challenges and opportunities for the clinical nurse specialist.
Rapid change, increasing technology, and cost-containment pressures present both challenges and opportunities for clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). Challenges stem from outside forces as well as from within the nursing profession, threatening the CNS role. ⋯ Certification and reimbursement for CNSs, clarification of advanced practice roles in new practice models, and strengthening of collaborative practice are some strategies to respond to these challenges and opportunities. Increased CNS accountability for defined institutional priorities also is crucial to the future of the CNS.