Clinical journal of oncology nursing
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Oncology nurses are experts in pain management, and pain is the hallmark of sickle cell disease (SCD). Because individuals with cancer and individuals with SCD often receive care from hematologists or oncologists and are admitted to the same nursing units, oncology nurses need to have an understanding of SCD and the challenges that these individuals face.
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Oncology nurses frequently care for patients who are dying or near death, leading to emotional distress, compassion fatigue, and staff turnover. Providing appropriate social and professional support to nursing staff is imperative to maintaining satisfaction and decreasing turnover. ⋯ The current article discusses the success of helping the staff in the fight against compassion fatigue by implementing bereavement interventions in a community hospital's oncology unit. The program can be applied to many oncology settings and practices to help keep valuable oncology nurses in their careers.
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Review Case Reports
Bowel obstruction and delirium: managing difficult symptoms at the end of life.
Palliative care has become an essential component of oncology care, with a focus on maximizing quality of life and optimizing function, as well as promoting pain and symptom management. This article focuses on the care of a patient experiencing bowel obstruction and delirium, two common issues in patients with advanced cancer, and demonstrates the integration of palliative care and oncology care to achieve an individualized care plan. ⋯ At other times, the causes may be irreversible and the focus is exclusively on quality of life. Determination of best care for individual patients requires synthesis of data from holistic assessment, including the patient's goals of care and values, as well as knowledge of the patient's disease state with evidence-based approaches to management.
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Surgery is a cornerstone of treatment in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Chronic postoperative thoracotomy pain, post-thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS), is a condition occurring in 50% of postsurgical patients with lung cancer and is largely unrecognized. This article examines the diagnosis and treatment of PTPS to assist oncology nurses in providing better care to this patient population. ⋯ This article examines the diagnosis and treatment of PTPS to assist oncology nurses in providing better care to this patient population. If left untreated, chronic pain can have a deleterious effect on patients' recovery and overall well-being. Oncology nurses should be aware of the signs and symptoms of PTPS so that more patients are diagnosed and choose to seek treatment.