The nursing process is a tool that puts knowledge into practice. By utilizing this systematic problem-solving method, nurses can determine the health care needs of an individual and provide personalized care.

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Cancer Nursing Care Process Benchmark Term Paper

According to the 2019 CDC statistics on the leading causes of death in the U.S., heart disease tops the list, with cancer seconding it. These statistics help understand that cancer has become a growing concern in every form it takes in an individual's body. Unlike heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S., cancer is not organ-specific; however, it takes on many forms affecting different organs in the body differently. Therefore, cancer can affect the lungs, skin, prostate, kidneys, liver, bones, brain, or other organs of an individual's body. For cancer to occur in a person, normal cells in a body's organ start growing differently and erratically to the normal composition of the cells in the organ; hence, changing the morphology of the cell and organ in general. The abnormally formed cells soon spread over the affected organ. During this spread of the abnormal cells, the cancerous cells can spread from one organ into another through metastasis, eventually forming tumors of cells in all affected organs throughout the body. According to the American Cancer Society (2021), statistics suggest that one in three people in their lifetime will be diagnosed with a form of cancer in their lifetime. This alarming statistic reveals the urgency to understand how cancer forms, spreads and can be treated; it has become a growing psychological concern worldwide. Therefore, as the world grows more 'cancer-conscious,' it is the nurses' role to administer proper care to patients with their holistic health in mind. As such, this paper will discuss the stages and diagnosis of cancer, and complications brought about by cancer both physically and psychologically, annual mortality rates, the importance of the American Cancer Society (ACS) in assisting with educational awareness and support, and the role of liberal studies in providing nurses with the knowledge that pertains to cancer patient care in their nursing process.

Diagnosis of Cancer

            Different organs in the bodywork differently to accomplish the holistic working of the body. As such, cancer in its different forms changes the morphology of organs its effects, making the diagnostic processes different for different types of cancer. The most common self-diagnostic tests are usually to check for any abnormal lumping caused by the collection of cancer cells on body organs. These tests can be done on a person's breasts, skin, or genitalia by simply moving one's palm over suspected areas to check for any form of abnormal lumping (NIH, 2019). If the lumps are found, a person is advised to visit their physician for further testing.

Further testing includes blood samples drawn to check for the presence of cancer cells in blood using cancer markers. Afterward, a patient is taken through scans to confirm the type of cancer (NIH, 2019). Such scans include MRI, PET scans, CT scans, and bone scans, depending on which organ cancer might be suspected. Once the scans identify the presence of a tumor, a biopsy is carried out to check whether the tumor is cancerous or benign. Other factors that may factor in diagnosing the cancer is how it has metastasized to other organs (NIH, 2019).  Once the biopsy confirms that the tumor is indeed cancerous, the next step is to determine what stage of cancer it might be.

Stages of Cancer

When all tests, scans, and biopsies have been completed, cancer staging is important to help understand how cancer has spread in the body or organ affected. Factors that help determine any cancer stage are tumor size and whether cancer has spread to other organs (NIH, 2019). These parameters are added to the initial examinations and tests carried out to help determine the cancer stage.

Other factors to consider in the staging process include the location of the tumor on the body, composition of the cells that make up the tumor, the size of the tumor, whether the tumor has metastasized to the neighboring lymph nodes, and the grade of the tumor (NIH, 2019). The tumor's grade describes the shape of the abnormal cells and their probability of growing beyond that and metastasizing. All these factors across the country are classified under the TNM cancer reporting system to identify and staging processes.

The TNM system of cancer stage reporting is commonly used in major hospitals where pathology reports are marked with the letters of the system; T, N, and M. Each letter in the TNM system, when drafted in a pathology report, represents a way to help with the staging process. The T stands for the extent and size of the major tumor, also known as the primary tumor. Therefore, a TX tumor can be marked as TX or T with a numbered suffix, for example, T3. If the report reads TX, it means that the tumor cannot be measured; if the report reads T0, it means that the tumor cannot be found; and if the number suffix ranges from 1-4, it shows how big the tumor has grown and extended into the neighboring tissues and organs (NIH, 2019). The N stands for expressing the extent of the tumor reaching the lymph nodes. NX on the report shows that the proximity to the lymph nodes cannot be measure, while N0 represents the absence of cancer near the nodes. N1, N2, and N3 show the location of the nodes with cancer (NIH, 2019).M stands for whether cancer has spread to other parts of the body. MX shows the metastasis is not measurable, M0 shows that the cancer is localized and has not spread to other organs, and M1 shows that it has spread (NIH, 2019). Understanding this, cancer can be classified into five stages, Stage 0, Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, and Stage IV.

Stages 0 on any pathology reports suggest that there are abnormal cells on the tissues. However, the cells are not cancerous. Stages II, III, and I denote that the cancer is present in the organ and surrounding tissues. As the number increases from one to three on the stage scale, it shows that cancer can spread to neighboring cells (NIH, 2019). Finally, stage IV is the final stage of cancer that signifies that cancer has spread to other body organs.

Physical and Psychological Effects and Complications of Cancer

            Treatment procedures of cancer include chemotherapy that affects different individuals differently. According to the ACS (2018), agents used in chemotherapy earmark weaknesses in cancer cells to avert their growth and stop reproducing the cells to prevent encroaching on nearby tissues and organs.  As chemotherapy is used in cancer treatment its used alongside radiation and surgery (Randall, 2018). Therefore, as chemotherapy works on cancer patients, it is inevitable that there are effects on cancer patients.

The most common complications with chemotherapy include loss of hair, loss of appetite, vomiting, blood clots, depression, fatigue, neutropenia, nausea, issues in cognition, excruciating pain, and lymphedema. As chemotherapy sessions continue with patients of existing cancers, nurses need to be empathetic towards patients' struggles (Gegechkori et al., 2017). Nurses need to have educative material for cancer patients on the importance of hygiene, especially hand hygiene. Hand hygiene in cancer patients is important because of preventing neutropenia because of the patients' low white blood cell count to boost their immunity, as their bodies cannot fight off opportunistic infections (ESMO, 2020). In some instances, when hair loss is permanent, patients get to have a hard time adjusting to baldness or wearing wigs to cover up their baldness. While nurses are empathetic to the pain occurring in patients, it is advisable to administer pain medication to relieve their pain during chemotherapy. Therefore, oncology nurses should motivate and encourage cancer patients to build their confidence when effects such as baldness come in. Frick et al. (2019) suggest that by positive reinforcement, patients gain a positive body image and improve their attitude towards chemotherapy; hence, when nurses offer a listening ear to patients, they can listen to the concerns, fears, and hopes of the patient while offering coping mechanisms that propel better management of depression amongst patients.

Factors Contributing to Cancer Mortality Rates and Incidences

Siegel et al. (2019) state that as of 2019, new cancer cases are estimated at 1,762,450 while there is a decline in deaths to 606,880. Compared to 2016, the statistics show that cancer patients' mortality rates have reduced by 27%; which roughly equates to a 2.6 million death reduction from cancer. Lung cancer, as one of the leading cancers in death of the population, Americans' reduction in smoking has helped with the reduction of deaths over the years. With sensitization and cancer awareness campaigns across the U.S., people have increased their fight against cancer with increased education and helpful materials on how to prevent, self-examine, and early detection treatment strategies. However, a decrease in smoking has not negated a decrease in other forms of cancer such as thyroid, pancreatic, and liver cancers amongst Americans (Siegel et al., 2019). Therefore, individuals should look into modifying their lifestyles to decrease cases of obesity and alcohol consumption that are causes of cancer. Although these measures are being adhered to, cancer cases continue because of issues that include access to health services and education access. All these factors increase cancer cases.

The Nursing Process of Care towards Cancer Patients

Toney-Butler & Thayer (2019) assert that for a nurse to administer proper patient care, they should go through the nursing care process's five essential steps: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. During the assessment part, a nurse conducts a head-to-toe examination of the patient while assessing their social, religious, and cultural norms. Through the assessment stage, the nurse gains a comprehensive understanding of the patient’s body, mind, spirit, and beliefs. The nurse then moves on to the diagnostic stage that gives the nurse a chance to see the patient’s existing health conditions. In this stage, the nurse employs Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs principle to understand better what the patient is suffering from and what they need (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2019). For a cancer patient, the nurse, by reading the patient's chart, understand that because of chemotherapy, vomiting and nausea is imminent; therefore, anticipating this, a nurse will equip the patient with a bedpan that allows them to vomit on while resting on a gurney or ward bed.

In the third step of the nursing care process, the nurse implements a care plan that factors the patient's needs. Information collected from assessing and diagnosing the patient helps formulate a care plan specific to the cancer patient (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2019). The care plan should constitute well-thought-out medication that prevents nausea and vomiting with the inclusion of group care activities and needs. The care plan should also include periods whereby the patient has time to rest to reduce fatigue while promoting hand hygiene. Fourthly, the nurse effectively implements these procedures designed in the care plan to help patient recovery. The implementation stage of the care process in nursing should be documented to show evidence of a positive progression for the care plan to continue or if the plan needs to be redesigned, factoring in complications that may arise (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2019). Lastly, an evaluation of the plan guarantees that the care plan was effective for the patient.

Influence of the American Cancer Society on Education and Support

            As a national organization primed with assisting patients to get educated about cancer, instill coping mechanisms on patients with cancer, encourage measures that promote early detection, treatment and prevention, the ACS caters to all Americans on curbing cancer. Contributions from sponsors, sporting activities, and corporate campaigns against cancer, the ACS have come up with a website accessible to all with a well of information on all cancers, prevention methods, treatments, and ongoing cancer research. With a dedicated tab on the website titled "Treatment and Support,"  the tab offers ways in which civilians can actively help from the locales of their regions around the U.S. in the fight against cancer (American Cancer Society, 2018). The tab on the website allows patients with cancer to have resources available to them from their localities. Such resources include stores to buy wigs after chemotherapy renders them bald, transportation to and from hospices, cancer support groups, medical supplies and equipment, grief, guidance and counseling centers, and financial assistance. The ACS website is a one-stop website that helps cancer patients by supporting their fight against cancer and provides educative, motivational, and inspirational groups that help with the walk as one. No cancer patient or relative is left behind through the ACS website, rather held by a fight for a cause.

The Role of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Cancer Nursing Care

            The role of nurses goes beyond care; therefore, nurses need to be well-equipped to handle situations that necessitate patient care by providing optimal patient care. Hence, the liberal arts and science play a significant role in ensuring optimal patient-centered care. Kooken & Kerr (2018) explain that through studying the liberal arts, subjects such as sociology, history, psychology, and theology provide nurses with vast knowledge on dealing with different patients from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. These liberal arts provide a nurse with an understanding of a certain community (Kooken & Kerr, 2018). Therefore, while administering care, nurses are mindful not to go against cultural and religious norms; hence, preserving the patient.

On the other hand, sciences and mathematics offer nurses the background knowledge of a patient's physical anatomy. Therefore, while administering care involving administering injections to patients, nurses must not overdose or underdose patients by properly calculating the dosage needed. Extensive research and studies amongst nursing students propel them to graduate and become certified registered nurses who can administer proper patient care (Kooken & Kerr, 2018). Ultimately, the liberal arts, sciences, and mathematics are essential in ensuring that patients, especially cancer patients, get the best care in proper pain medication, appropriate chemotherapeutic dosages, and the appropriate amount of radiation and fluids during surgery recovery. Collectively, these form a basis of knowledge and practicability in ensuring proper care is administered.

Effective administration of care to patients by nurses demands a comprehensive understanding of the patient's beliefs, norms, intellectual implementation towards proper care. Nurses practice this by implementing what they are taught in academic institutions to diagnose a patient effectively. Randall (2018) explains that emotional intelligence is important amongst nurses helps with empathy towards patients while offering a listening ear that helps nurses assure patients of the best care. Therefore, through coordinated efforts, nurses work in teams to help evoke proper patient care. Ultimately, a nurse who can assess, diagnose, empathize, listen, encourage, and effectively implement a patient's care plan is guaranteed optimal patient care.

Conclusion

            As much as cancer is a physical disease that changes the morphology of normal cells into abnormal cells, cancer is also a psychological disease. People dealing with cancer are affected emotionally, grow low self-esteem, and are concerned about their body image, especially with chemotherapeutic agents infused in their body during radiation and surgery to remove tumors and cancer cells. Therefore, nurses must adhere to professional standards when handling such patients by showing them empathy and encouraging them to have positivity. Such positivity helps assure that nurses lend a listening ear to patients where they feel comfortable alleviating their fears and concerns; therefore, turning a positive side towards chemotherapeutic treatment. Ultimately, nurses provide patients with cancer a comprehensively personalized care plan to provide optimal patient-centered care.