摘要:

Survival rates and side effects have become the dominant constructs of cancer treatment and care, to the detriment of more supportive and patient-focused approaches. The concept of quality of life introduced to address this has failed to temper the language of oncology. Here an argument is made for the place of cancer nursing as a therapeutic enterprise in its own right, which warrants much greater recognition. Clear evidence for the therapeutic effects of cancer nursing intervention from a series of meta-analyses of cancer nursing interventions exists. Cancer nursing as therapy has the potential to operate on four levels and can effect radical change by reconstructing care, cancer services, and wider health care environments so that they are much more patient focused and offer nursing therapy as an integral part of care. These include fundamental knowledge or theory generation for therapeutic practice, therapeutic interventions for individuals or problems, developing and changing health systems or environments, or critique and reconstruction of care from a societal perspective. The features of cancer nursing as therapy can be identified and are described. Cancer nurses are encouraged to take up the challenge offered by the concept of therapeutic cancer nursing so that its potential for nurses, patients, and cancer services can be realised.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1997

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth description of Taking Care, one of the phases of a grounded theory (The Labor of Caregiving) of caregiving for families experiencing life-threatening illnesses such as cancer and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 family caregivers of persons with cancer and AIDS during a 4-month period. Grounded theory methodology served as the basis for data collection and analysis. Data were analyzed in terms of the strategies, consequences, and interactions involved in the caregiving experience. The strategies of Taking Care included these data themes: Managing the Illness, Facing and Preparing for Dying, and Managing the Environment. The consequences of Taking Care included the data themes Coming to Know One's Own Strength, and Personal Suffering. Interactions that occurred as a result of Taking Care included Responding to Family Relationship Issues, and Struggling with the Health Care System. Findings from this research reveal that family caregivers dedicate an enormous portion of their lives to caring for their ill family members. They experience their own form of suffering as they watch their loved one die. Some also find personal meaning in the experience and an awakening of their own strengths. One of the implications from these findings is the need for a partnership between health care professionals and the families providing care.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1997

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Having a life-threatening disease like cancer during adolescence poses a number of problems. The purpose of this study was to identify the adolescent's own experience of areas of the life situation affected by the disease and problems related to it. Ten adolescents with varying diagnoses and treatment were interviewed. They also completed a quantitative measurement of problems. The result shows eight domains and 24 subdomains influencing the experience of life situation. Those were disease and treatment (side effects, isolation, medical procedures), identification (others are ill, appearance), feelings and reactions (mood, self-image, meaning, hope), coping (positive thinking, distraction, positive effects), togetherness (family, friends, school), support (family and friends, the youth association, professional support), reactions of the families (parents, siblings), and quality of care (professionalism, information, organization, equipment). The problems mentioned in the interviews are also compared with the quantitative measurement used. The adolescents mentioned 77 problems in the interviews, of which 17 were not on the list of problems. Of those 17, seven dealt with physical problems, and six were problems concerning the quality of care. They ranked waiting and depending on parents as the worst problems for themselves from the list of problems.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1997

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) served as the conceptual framework for this study, which was designed to examine the effect of attitudes and subjective norms on intention to provide oral care for patients receiving chemotherapy. The sample, stratified by type of health care facility, consisted of staff nurses (N = 85) who work in oncology settings in New York State. Data were collected by sending 10 questionnaires to a designee at the randomly chosen facility. Both attitudes and subjective norms were significant predictors of behavioral intention, predicting 39% of the variance. Using the strategy devised by Laschinger and Goldenberg, the sample was divided into two groups: those that scored below the mean on behavioral intention (nonintenders) and those above the mean (intenders). Nonintenders scored significantly lower on attitudes and subjective norms than intenders. The TRA was not supported when examining the data of the nonintenders, whereas for the intenders the theory did operate as designed, predicting 23% of the variance in behavioral intention.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1997

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Declining practice of breast self-examination (BSE) among women over the age of 55 years dramatically decreases the probability of early detection of breast cancer. About two-thirds of women who die of breast cancer are over the age of 55 years. Social support has been found to be associated with health behaviors. Although a woman's health may benefit from supportive relationships, the effect of diminished social networks on practices of BSE among older women has not been examined. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between social support and the frequency and accuracy of BSE practice. The sample consisted of 22 women, 55 years of age and older, who were having routine examinations at a small Midwestern gynecologic clinic. Social support was assessed by the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, and two tools assessed the accuracy and frequency of BSE. Social support was found to be significantly related to the frequency of BSE (r = 0.45, p < 0.05), but not to the accuracy of BSE (r = 0.28). The results also indicated that these women had lower social support scores compared with younger women. Planners of nursing intervention for BSE should consider healthcare providers as important resources in social support networks for the reinforcement of frequency and accuracy of BSE for older women.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1997

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The incidence of breast cancer in women continues to rise, and there is no known cause or prevention. Additionally, >70% of all diagnosed breast cancer has no known risk factor involved. Early detection is mandatory for survival from this disease, but only three imperfect methods are available: mammography, clinical examination, and breast self-examination (BSE). One-third of all breast cancer cases occur in women under the age of 50 years, and this is a period when mammography is ineffective and clinical examination is infrequent. Consequently, BSE is highly significant for this age group. However, women do not perform BSE on a consistent monthly basis. The significant developmental characteristic of late adolescence and young adulthood is the formation of a personal identity. This age group is also heavily influenced by their peers. Therefore, a BSE program that incorporates peer education and elements essential to positive identity formation may be an effective means to establishing BSE as a normal health routine in young women.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1997

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1997

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1997

数据来源: OVID