La asistencia de la enfermera en la visión de mujeres mastectomizadas / Nursing care to mastectomized women

El trabajo relata la experiencia de mujeres que tuvieron cáncer de mama y fueron sometidas a mastectomía, recibiendo la asistencia de las enfermeras y de sus auxiliares. Los objetivos fueron: identificar las expectativas de las mujeres que se sometieron a la mastectomía en relación al cuidado de la enfermera y cómo estas mujeres percibían la asistencia que les fue prestada. Consiste en una investigación descriptiva, del modelo de estudio de caso, cualitativa, utilizando encuesta directa con nueve mujeres de un grupo de apoyo a mujeres mastectomizadas, en Niterói - RJ - Brasil. Fueron identificadas las expectativas relativas a la enfermera: que deberá tener capacidad y conocimiento técnico, además de comprender el momento vivido por ellas. En cuanto a la actuación de las enfermeras, ellas relataron que éstas aclararon sus dudas y fueron esenciales en el posoperatorio, realizaron procedimientos técnicos y dieron apoyo emocional. Se evidenció que la asistencia de enfermería, tanto relativa a la enfermera como a sus auxiliares, presentó una manera distinta con respecto a la institución. En la especializada, enfermera con función clara y definida; en la general, con función no definida (AU)

This goal of this research is to talk about the daily life of women who had developed breast cancer and underwent mastectomy and the treatment, and were assisted by a nurse and a nurse group. The objectives were to identify the expectations of women who underwent mastectomy with respect to the care of the nurse and describe how these women perceived the assistance extended to them. It is a descriptive case study with a qualitative approach, using open interview and engaging with nine women from a support group of mastectomized women in Niterói - RJ - Brazil. It was observed that the expectation related to the nurse, who must be professional technically competentc and understnad the moment the patients are going through. In terms of the nurse’s action: women related that some of their doubts were qualmed, which was essential during the post-surgery,by technical procedures and giving emotional support. The research showed that the assistance from the nurse and the others in the group were different, according to the Institution’s policy. I, in the specialized institution, nurses performed a clear and defined job; however, in the generalized institution, the function was not so clear (AU)

Reasons for nursing telephone counseling from individuals discharged in the early postoperative period after breast surgery.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to determine the rate of and causes of asking for telephone counseling in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy (MRM) and breast-conserving surgery (BCS), and discharged one night after surgery. METHOD: This is a randomized descriptive study. This study was conducted on surgery service of a university hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, with MRM and BCS patients. This study sample included 174 patients. Inclusion criteria were staying in hospital for one night and being discharged, ability to talk on the phone, and being a candidate for MRM or BCS. Data were collected on a form that was developed by the researcher after consultation with experts, reviewing THE related literature, and clinical observations. The patients were given two mobile telephone (for two of the researchers) and home telephone number (for two of the researchers) that had an answering machine and were encouraged to call or leave a message for health problems they experienced at home. RESULTS: A higher rate of the patients undergoing mastectomy asked for telephone counseling. The rate of the women asking for telephone counseling was very high within the first 6 weeks of discharge. The leading causes of asking for telephone counseling were wound problems, arm exercises, and difficulties in adapting to daily living activities. The women also had a psychological problem: fear of inability to recover. CONCLUSIONS: The study found that home follow-up of patients undergoing mastectomy was particularly important.

Altered body image: managing social encounters.

For terminally ill people who are still active within the community, altered body image can pose significant problems. Patients may have an obvious change in appearance or function, but be unsure how to present a positive image to others. Moreover, lay supporters are often equally unsure how to react to the changed appearance of the dying person. Changes in physical appearance and function associated with disease processes (and sometimes treatment) need to be integrated into the interaction that occurs between patients and lay carers. This is likely to be a difficult matter to facilitate, taxing the ingenuity of the palliative care nurse who hopes to assist the patient in this regard. This article uses a case study from the community-based palliative care setting to introduce steps that nurses and patients might consider as the patient sets out to manage such social encounters.

Current issues in the surgical treatment of early stage breast cancer.

Surgery remains the primary treatment for early stage breast cancer. Modified radical mastectomy and lumpectomy with axillary dissection continue to be the two procedures most commonly performed. Changes in the healthcare system and advances in medical research in cancer treatment affect the nursing care of these patients. The introduction of the sentinel node biopsy may change certain aspects of surgical treatment, as some patients may not require an axillary dissection. The challenge for nurses is to provide quality care and maintain established standards for patients with breast cancer as their hospitalizations are shortened to same day or overnight stays. The purpose of this article is to review the standard surgical treatments and related nursing care and discuss the impact of the sentinel node biopsy and the impact of changes in the length of hospital stay on the care of women with breast cancer.

Home healthcare for patients receiving one-day mastectomy.

The pressure to cut costs has resulted in outpatient to 1-day hospital stays for women who have a modified radical mastectomy. This article discusses the need for early identification of patients who require home healthcare immediately after surgery to decrease complications and reduce postoperative anxiety.