ABSTRACT
Cervical cancer is a disease that affects women worldwide. In some countries it is the leading cause of death among women. Although the incidence of cervical cancer has decreased with the advent of the Papanicolaou smear, it remains a problem in adult women. Cervical dysplasia most often affects women in their 20s; carcinoma in situ affects women 30 to 39 years of age; and invasive carcinoma affects women older than 40 years. These age groups fall into the final three of Erickson's eight stages of ego development. However, taking a developmental approach in planning nursing interventions for women with cervical cancer has its drawbacks. Much of developmental theory research has been conducted on nonrepresentative samples, with women being underrepresented. A template for exploring patient problems from a life stage (developmental) perspective has been developed within the context of three different nursing diagnoses (sexual dysfunction, spiritual distress, and alteration in family processes).
Subject(s)
Human Development , Nursing Diagnosis , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/nursing , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/psychology , Women's Health , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Age Distribution , Age Factors , Aged , Female , Humans , Middle AgedABSTRACT
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationships of daily hassles, demands of illness, and social support to the psychosocial adjustment of people with newly diagnosed, primary lung cancer. DESIGN: Descriptive correlational. SETTING: A regional oncology center located in a large teaching hospital. SAMPLE: 56 patients (62% male, 84% white, mean of 60 years old). METHODS: After being contacted by phone and assigned a functional status score, subjects completed and mailed four study tools: Hassles Scale, Demands of Illness Inventory, Personal Resource Questionnaire, and Patient Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self Report. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Daily hassles, demands of illness, social support, and psychosocial adjustment. FINDINGS: Demands of illness were predictive of psychosocial adjustment in the expected direction (i.e., higher scores were associated with decreased adjustment). Race also was a predictor. In general, participants reported relatively high social support, low hassles, moderately low demands of illness, and positive adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Demands of illness were predictive of psychosocial adjustment in patients newly diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Demands of illness should be monitored at the time of diagnosis and periodically throughout the course of the disease. Interventions directed at specific types of demands can facilitate patient adjustment.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Cost of Illness , Lung Neoplasms/psychology , Activities of Daily Living , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis , Lung Neoplasms/nursing , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Staging , Predictive Value of Tests , Racial Groups , Sampling Studies , Sickness Impact Profile , Social SupportABSTRACT
Orientation is an important component in assuring the assimilation and adequate performance of new employees. In settings that require the integration of high-level technical skills and critical thinking, employees must learn essential information in a short time. In this article, the authors review the process used in a critical care oncology setting to develop a curriculum for a two-phased orientation program. Implementation and evaluation strategies are presented to assist others in the process of developing orientation programs that achieve desired objectives in a resource-efficient environment.