Introduction
Cancer is one of the chronic medical conditions that harmfully affects multiple people throughout the world. Australia is no exception, and in 2022, the country had 456,200 people with this diagnosis, which equaled 1.8% of the population (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023). This percentage is not dramatic, but the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2023a) expects it to increase in the future. This condition is among the leading causes of death in Australia because more than 46,000 patients died from it in 2016 (Bach et al., 2020).
It is challenging to overestimate the impact that cancer has on people. Its treatments include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy, and these interventions can result in pain, immune suppression, and physical harm (Glasziou et al., 2020). Individuals additionally suffer from anxiety, depression, worsened relationships with their partners, loss of work, and financial difficulties. This information demonstrates that it is reasonable to find an evidence-based approach to improve healthcare for cancer patients.
Challenges
Utilizing a Holistic Approach
Cancer is a significant condition that negatively impacts people’s lives, and a holistic approach allows for focusing on the various spheres affected. First, one should understand that this diagnosis subjects individuals to multiple physical issues, as different systems are affected. A peer-reviewed, longitudinal study of the Australian population found that osteoporosis was the most common comorbidity (Mahumud et al., 2020).
The cardiovascular system additionally experiences harmful impacts, and ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease are widespread among cancer patients (Koczwara et al., 2021). The condition under analysis is additionally associated with asthma and other respiratory difficulties (Mahumud et al., 2020). Finally, it has already been mentioned that treatment options result in immune suppression and pain (Glasziou et al., 2020). These facts indicate that this condition significantly compromises physical health.
Second, one should highlight various psychological challenges and problems. Negative prognosis and the severity of the illness make it not surprising that patients are subject to depression and anxiety (Mahumud et al., 2020). These mental health issues are significant and can even result in hopelessness, which is a significant burden on a person’s health (Van Der Kruk, 2022).
Furthermore, cancer treatment leaves many traces on the human body, such as scars and hair loss. As a result, a person experiences an altered body image and dissatisfaction with appearance (Van Der Kruk, 2022). Furthermore, an individual’s self-esteem suffers because the condition undermines their confidence and self-perception. These details explain why and how mental health is affected.
Third, it is not reasonable to ignore that cancer patients deal with multiple social challenges. Social isolation is a common outcome because the diagnosis makes individuals spend more time in the hospital and reduces their participation in various social activities (Van Der Kruk, 2022). It is said that stigma and discrimination are common experiences for these individuals.
People with this condition fear being treated negatively, while others avoid interacting with them (Van Der Kruk, 2022). The treatment process is long and challenging, and it is often associated with a significant financial burden (Van Der Kruk, 2022). This problem is aggravated because a patient can face workplace difficulties that will reduce their earnings. Some individuals additionally report relationship problems with their intimate partners, which contributes to other challenges.
Selecting One Challenge
Among the specified challenges, it is reasonable to focus on a social aspect, social isolation. This issue is negative for healthy individuals, and the impact is even more detrimental to cancer patients. When these people lose communication and participation in social activities, they do not receive the required mental support from their friends and peers (Van Der Kruk, 2022).
Loneliness is dangerous in this situation because it can lead individuals to withdraw, which opens the door to further complications. For instance, isolated patients are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and hostility (Pahl et al., 2021). Consequently, the selected challenge undermines patients’ well-being and contributes to further complications that keep worsening their quality of life.
Nursing Interventions
Support Groups
The first nursing intervention is to organize or refer patients to existing support groups. This term refers to online or offline gatherings of people with similar problems or backgrounds where they can share their thoughts, emotions, or concerns. If a facility has a few cancer patients, a nurse can lead and manage face-to-face groups (Jablotschkin et al., 2022).
In addition, a patient can join such a group on a social media platform (Lazard et al., 2021). One should state that this service is popular and widespread in the modern world because it enables oncology patients to stay in touch with many people from different locations and combat social isolation effectively. The main characteristic of any approach implies that cancer patients find support and new acquaintances by engaging in such support groups.
It is essential to note that this evidence-based intervention offers participants significant advantages. Socially isolated patients can share experiences, learn from peers, and help others with similar problems (Jablotschkin et al., 2022). Simultaneously, individuals benefit from expressing their emotions and concerns and feeling understood (Allison et al., 2021).
When a person loses contact with their friends, relatives, and intimate partners, they can easily use the Internet to find new contacts. Communication with others is productive because people feel connected and respected (Lazard et al., 2021). This scholarly evidence clearly demonstrates that nurses should be aware of this intervention and select an appropriate group, online or offline, for a particular patient to help the latter deal with social isolation.
Spiritual Care
The second proposed intervention is to provide spiritual care to patients. This practice “can restore and achieve the well-being of patients who experience crises such as hopelessness, vulnerability, and social isolation” (Yosep et al., 2022, p. 121). Nurses can cooperate with religious leaders to ensure that patients’ spiritual needs are met (Yosep et al., 2022).
In particular, the need to deliver holistic care obliges these medical professionals to highlight this aspect. Thus, nurses are expected to assess patients’ needs, facilitate spiritual practices, such as meditation and prayer, and arrange contact between patients and religious leaders. These activities provide oncology patients with the support and additional contacts they need to manage their social isolation.
Specific issues explain why the selected intervention is suitable and effective for the given case. Evidence from a randomized controlled trial reveals that spiritual care facilitates interpersonal communication, a primary response to social isolation, among cancer patients (Afrasiabifar et al., 2021). Martins et al. (2020) additionally state that social isolation is frequently associated with spiritual distress when people with cancer refuse to see their friends or relatives and delve into communication with God. In this case, spiritual care is needed to help these individuals find a balance between their religious and social needs and to engage in both areas (MarYosep et al., 2022). Thus, nurses are encouraged to incorporate a spiritual aspect into their holistic care.
Ethical Considerations
Delivering care to cancer patients is a delicate and significant task because nurses should ensure that their service does not harm clients. In particular, these medical professionals should draw attention to ethical considerations, including the diagnosis. On the one hand, it is essential to detect this condition as early as possible because this step increases the effectiveness of treatment (Janda et al., 2022). That is why Australia has multiple screening programs that are focused on different population groups.
For instance, the country makes efforts to monitor and detect breast, cervical, and bowel cancer types (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023b). This approach has proven its efficiency because Australia has witnessed a better survival rate among oncological patients over the last years (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023a). This information refers to one side of the selected ethical issue.
On the other hand, striving for early diagnosis can subject individuals to unnecessary tests and even false-positive results. In this case, patients and their families can experience increased anxiety that will negatively influence their overall mental health and well-being. In addition, such inappropriate decisions result in financial expenses that could be easily avoided if unnecessary tests were not offered (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022). The same issue is true for a genetic risk of cancer because this test can generate false positive results. Consequently, medical professionals should carefully strike a balance on this ethical issue to ensure the patient’s physical and mental well-being is protected.
Conclusion
Cancer is a severe and widespread chronic condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people across Australia. A comprehensive overview of this illness yielded four essential conclusions. First, a holistic approach to care has revealed that cancer results in multiple psychological, physical, and social challenges. Among them, social isolation is a significant issue that deserves attention.
Second, support groups represent a suitable evidence-based intervention to provide oncology patients with the required communication. Third, spiritual care is the second potential response, facilitating religious support and interpersonal communication. Fourth, cancer treatment raises an ethical issue of early detection, and healthcare professionals should consider it in their practice.
References
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