Introduction
The interaction of medical professionals with cancer patients is a topic that is often addressed in the modern world since oncology is one of the most common causes of death. In this regard, care issues play an important role in discussions of potentially effective interventions aimed at minimizing the spread of the disease among the population. The thorough training of nursing staff to work with patients of this profile is of high importance due to the integration of various disciplines in the educational process. This work aims to describe the factors contributing to the yearly incidence and mortality rates of cancers in Americans, safe care at the disease stages, and the importance of comprehensive education in enhancing nursing knowledge.
Risk Factors
Particular attention to cancer care is due to the danger of a high risk of mortality that this disease carries. According to the American Cancer Society (2019), about 1.7 million cases of diagnosed oncology illnesses have been diagnosed in 2019, while only 42% of them “are potentially avoidable” (p. 1). According to the official report, there are specific risk factors that trigger cancer, in particular, overweight that is an increasing trend, smoking, and alcohol consumption (American Cancer Society, 2019).
Hereditary predispositions are also a threat because if documented cases of oncology have been diagnosed in a patient’s family history, the likelihood of neoplasms increases. According to the official statistics, older adults are more at risk of oncology – in people over 70, the probability is about 31% (American Cancer Society, 2019, p. 14). Therefore, when planning cancer care, the aforementioned factors should be taken into account.
Nursing Process for Effective Cancer Care
In order to provide effective and comprehensive cancer care across the lifespan, the nursing process is applied, which implies patient-centered and holistic activities. Moreover, as Ndetei et al. (2018) note, in each of the five phases of oncology, individual measures are to be taken. At stage 0, the initial phase, consultations with medical staff can be effective in providing self-help. In phase 1, when cancer cells spread more actively, symptom control should be applied, and psychological help is needed. At stage 2, ongoing interaction with patients is crucial, and support to family members should be provided.
In phase 3, when the likelihood of recovery decreases significantly, nursing staff should mitigate pain and provide comprehensive support for patients to cope with their daily needs. At stage 4, only palliative care can be applied, and attention to patient requests is an important aspect of the nursing process.
Enhancing Nursing Knowledge
In undergraduate education, nurses can benefit not only from narrow-profile training but also due to studying other disciplines, including the liberal arts and exact sciences. For instance, Ayoola et al. (2017) remark that nurses can collaborate with physicists and introduce new forms of systematic evaluations into the research process. Comprehensive education helps prepare students better and contributes to a spacious mind. For the nursing process, the integration of knowledge from various fields is important, including mathematical skills for performing statistical reports, social ones for successful interaction with patients, and other attainments forming an interdisciplinary research area.
Conclusion
Assessing the factors contributing to the increased risk of cancer mortality and analyzing the patient-centered approach to care at different stages of cancer can help determine the importance of comprehensive nursing training. The integration of knowledge from different fields helps establish interaction with patients and apply valuable skills for productive interventions. The combination of attainments allows nurses to gain new experience and realize their professional potential as effectively as possible.
References
American Cancer Society. (2019). Cancer facts & figures 2019. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society.
Ayoola, A. B., Adams, Y. J., Kamp, K. J., Zandee, G. L., Feenstra, C., & Doornbos, M. M. (2017). Promoting the future of nursing by increasing zest for research in undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(2), 126-132. Web.
Ndetei, D., Musyimi, C., Tele, A., Musau, A., Gitonga, I., & Mutiso, V. (2018). Psychological well-being and social functioning across the cancer stages: Implications for palliative care. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 14(2-3), 194-208. Web.