Book
Nursing Care for Cancer Patients
- Components of the Nursing Process
➡️ The nursing process is the foundation of a nurse's work and consists of five main steps in order:
- Assessment
In this step, the nurse collects the necessary information about the patient. This is considered one of the most crucial steps and involves gathering information from various sources, including interviews with the patient and their family members, as well as the patient's medical records. - Nursing Diagnosis
After gathering sufficient information, along with the medical diagnosis, the nurse determines the nursing diagnosis for the condition, which marks the beginning of the nursing care plan for the patient. - Planning
In this step, an appropriate plan is developed based on the nursing diagnosis, and priorities are set to achieve the desired goal of the nursing care plan or the nursing process. - Implementation
In this step, the nurse applies the nursing care plan in practice according to the priorities set during the planning phase. - Evaluation
This is the final stage of the nursing care plan, in which the nurse reviews the outcomes of the plan’s application and the interventions implemented for patient care. If the results are unsatisfactory, the nurse must document the evaluation to reassess and identify the patient's problems and needs and formulate a new plan. This will be part of the evaluation step (Step 1).
It is very important to note that the nursing process is continuous and never stops until the patient is discharged from the hospital, including the discharge plan and follow-up care.
Therefore, nursing care for cancer patients must address their various needs throughout the course of their illness, including appropriate screening, symptom management, patient care practices, and preventive measures, while maintaining the highest possible level of normal function and taking supportive measures before, during, and after treatment. Cancer causes significant damage to the patient's body, internal organs, psychological state, social activities, and also affects family members and those around the patient. Specifically, the application of the nursing process involves the following:
