Palliative Care in Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Palliative Care in Cancer - Essay Example Palliative health care services for children in the UK are both organized and delivered differently than adult palliative care in oncology (Price, McNeilly, & McFarlane, 2005). Palliative care will usually begin initially at the diagnosis of an incurable disease and continue throughout one’s life (Shaw, 2011). Palliative care will usually involve a multidisciplinary team approach and coordinators will manage and assist with symptoms and pain management along with the other aspects of medical care along with other basic needs such as financing, transportation, medical equipment, respite services for caregivers, counseling and of course easy transition to hospice services should this become necessary. Frequently palliative care is understood or thought to limit opinions available to families and patients rather than helping them to utilize the optimum clinical knowledge and tools available. Rationale 'Oncology Nurses' Personal Understandings about Palliative Care' The rationale for a literature review in palliative care in oncology is heavily supported by the number of new cases expected to be reported yearly; in 2009 alone 1,479,350 cases were expected in the United States (Mahon, and McAuley, 2010, p142). The ultimate goals of cancer treatment fall directly in line for those in palliative care; minimizing effects and alleviating the burdens of this disease. Advances in oncology treatment now means people are living longer with the disease and longer life spans with the disease previously often meant a reduced quality of life; living with the burden of pain, mental anguish and disabilities. Palliative care is now understood to be very distinct from that of hospice care and should be available to patients independent of the prognosis and diagnosis. Cancer patients live with significant burdens and because complex decisions are usual for cancer patients palliative care should be available commonly and routinely to cancer patients. It has become the standard of care for patients with cancer and serious illnesses. Though deficits remain with oncology there are two trends that heavily influence the oncologist’s nurse’s perceptions about palliative care. Many oncology nurses find it difficult to distinguish between palliative care and hospice care and oncology nurses have the unusual opportunity for being trendsetters in oncology palliative care because of the fact that each cancer patient is a good candidate for palliative care. Analysis of Available Literature on Palliative Care in Oncology 'Oncology Nurses' Perceptions of Nursing Roles and Professional Attributes in Palliative Care' Few research studies have explored the perspectives of nursing roles in palliative care (Pavlish & Ceronsky, 2009). Most research is focused on gaining insights about end of life care. Nursing support in palliative care was found to have six dimensions; connecting, valuing, empowering, doing for, assisting in finding meaning, and ensuring the preservation of the patient’s integrity. Nursing responsibilities in the same study were described as providing comfort, responding during the death scene, enhancing personal growth, reacting to anger, enhancing the quality of life during dying, responding to colleagues and responding and interacting with the family in a supportive and professional manner. It was discovered that many nurses felt the most important aspect in palliative ca