Seminars in oncology nursing
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To discuss three ambiguities that may accompany nurse-chaplain collaboration in providing spiritual care: confusion about the meaning of "spiritual" and related terms, spiritual assessment and the referral process, and the role of clergy. ⋯ Nurses must collaborate with chaplains and relate to clergy to provide spiritual care for cancer patients and families. Knowledge of assessment differences between nurses and chaplains, terminology, and role of clergy will enhance this collaboration.
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To provide information about spiritual assessment strategies and the spiritual stages through which persons with cancer pass. ⋯ Nurses can improve spiritual assessment by eliciting patient accounts of the evolving spiritual journey and prayers that parallel changes in health status.
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To examine issues related to the assessment of pain, symptoms and functional status in patients with cancer and the timing of assessment and appropriate tools to collect this information. ⋯ For pain to be evaluated and treated effectively, regular consistent assessment of pain by the clinician is imperative. This comprehensive assessment allows the clinician to choose modalities most likely to work for the individual patient.
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To examine pain-related constructs, illness related constructs, and the particular importance of the physical examination as integrative steps in a comprehensive pain assessment. ⋯ The nurse's understanding of pain-related constructs, illness-related constructs, and the importance of the physical examination will help provide strategies for pain management that are most likely to offer both pain relief and improved quality of life.
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To review the basic principles of patient education, models of innovative approaches to patient education, and needs for future development in patient education. ⋯ Nurses are essential to improving the care of cancer patients in pain by providing patient education as a care component of professional nursing practice. The challenge remains to overcome significant barriers of limited time and resources to achieve these goals.