IMPLEMENTING AWARENESS PRACTICE IN NEUROONCOLOGY

ABSTRACT

Awareness practices are mind-body medicine techniques that help quiet the chatter of worry, fear, or the “to-do list” in the mind and allows the individual to experience calm and focus. Neuro-Oncology families undergo a variety of stressors that increase the “mind chatter” once their child is diagnosed with a brain tumor. These families not only have to manage the day-to-day tasks of family life, but they are thrust into a world of uncertainty which often can breed anxiety. To help mitigate the stress and anxiety that Neuro-Oncology families undergo, sessions focusing on awareness practices were offered to parent caregivers once a week for 15-20 minutes via the Zoom platform. The goal of these sessions was to offer respite from mental and emotional challenges brought on by the cancer diagnosis and the COVID 19 pandemic. Separate sessions were also offered to Oncology nurse case managers to help decrease compassion fatigue as these nurses also walk alongside oncology families through the cancer journey providing advocacy and patient/family support. Breath awareness, imagery, and meditation practices were used during the sessions to activate the body's relaxation response to allow for rest and restoration.