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.

Write a paper (1,750-2,000 words) on cancer and approach to care based on the utilization of the nursing process. Include the following in your paper:

1. Describe the diagnosis and staging of cancer.
2. Describe at least three complications of cancer, the side effects of treatment, and methods to lessen physical and psychological effects.
3. Discuss what factors contribute to the yearly incidence and mortality rates of various cancers in Americans.
4. Explain how the American Cancer Society (ACS) might provide education and support. What ACS services would you recommend and why?
5. Explain how the nursing process is utilized to provide safe and effective care for cancer patients across the life span. Your explanation should include each of the five phases and demonstrate the delivery of holistic and patient-focused care.
6. Discuss how undergraduate education in liberal arts and science studies contributes to the foundation of nursing knowledge and prepares nurses to work with patients utilizing the nursing process. Consider mathematics, social and physical sciences, and science studies as an interdisciplinary research area.

You are required to cite to a minimum of four sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and relevant to nursing practice.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. 

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. 

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance. 

Benchmark Information

This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies:

RN-BSN

2.1: Incorporate liberal arts and science studies into nursing knowledge.

3.1 Utilize the nursing process to provide safe and effective care for patients across the life span.

RUBRIC

Attempt Start Date: 14-Sep-2020 at 12:00:00 AM

Week 4 Discussion Case 3

D.Z. is caring for 3 year old M. L. who has a seizure disorder.  M.L.’s parents rely on traditional medicine to cure their daughter’s seizures.  They believe her seizures are caused by the spirits.  Their compliance with her anti-seizure medications and follow-up appointments have been poor.  Studies have shown that acupuncture can reduce the frequency and duration of seizures.  Traditional Chinese medicine believes that seizures are the results from the qi or chi, depending upon the culture, disturbances and evolve to be the excess of yang due to deficiency of yin (Chen et. al 2014).  Acupuncture manipulates these life energies by stimulating precisely mapped points on the skin surface (Edelman & Kudzma, 2018).  Acupuncture is is done by inserting fine needles into these mapped points which overlie the meridian channels.  By inserting these needles into these points, it will either open or close halves in the meridian system which will correct any disturbances in the energy flow.  Acupressure is a form of acupuncture where these meridian points are stimulated by pressing, rubbing, squeezing, and stretching movements (Edelman & Kudzma, 2018).  

The primary goal of screening patients is to identify chronic conditions and risk factors before the condition impacts the quality of life and has a greater financial impact.  In screening patients, we are able to identify risk factors and conditions early and reduce the progression of the disease and possibly prevent the condition.

Economics has a large impact on the nutritional status of patients.  For patients living at or below the poverty level, being able to afford nutritiously health foods can be difficult, hence the reason many patients in this bracket tend to be overweight or obese.  My advice for patients in a lower socioeconomic status to eat healthy on a budget would be to make wiser decisions when purchasing food.  When shopping for groceries, purchase store brand items instead of name brand.  When cooking, bake food instead of frying.  For fresh fruits and vegetables, go to a farmers market or flea market, as you can purchase these items in these locations cheaper than purchasing them in stores.  For patients that have financial restraints that limit their access to food, I would assist with getting them set up with supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.  I would direct them to local food banks to receive free foods.  For those with school aged children, the local schools offer free breakfast and lunch for all students.  I would encourage families to take advantage of the free meals that are offered for the children.

There are a variety of potential barriers to patient education.  These barriers include literacy, culture, language, and physiological.  Overcoming these challenges can be difficult.  To overcome the literacy barrier, should I have a patient with this barrier, I could provide the patient with pictures that depict what I am teaching the patient, along with the written literature that can be taken home for family members that are literate.  With cultural barriers, the way to overcome this barrier is for the healthcare professional to learn the patients cultural beliefs and values.  This will allow us to educate the patient based on their beliefs.  Language barriers, to overcome this barrier, it is best to have an interpreter available to be the liaison between the healthcare professional and the patient.  If there is another healthcare professional that speaks the same language it would be most ideal for them to see this patient.  Lastly is the physiological barriers, this includes vision, hearing, and memory issues.  For those with visual deficits, I would provide them with large print instructions that are easier to read.  For those with hearing problems, giving them written materials and when speaking to them, talking louder for them to be able to hear what is being said.  For those with memory issues, again providing written instructions as well as verbal instructions and possibly including family in the education process so they can carry the teaching back home and continue to work with the patient.

References

Edelman,C. L., & Kudzma, E. C. (2018). Health Promotion Throughout the Lifespan (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier

Chen, S., Wang, S., Rong, P., Liu, J., Zhang, H., & Zhang, J. (2014). Acupuncture for Refractory Epilepsy:  Role of Thalamus.  Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. doi: 10.1155/2014/950631

Asthma is a respiratory disorder that affects children and adults. Advanced practice nurses often provide treatment to patients with these disorders. Sometimes patients require immediate treatment, making it essential that you recognize and distinguish minor asthma symptoms from serious, life-threatening ones. Since symptoms and attacks are often induced by a trigger, advanced practice nurses must also help patients identify their triggers and recommend appropriate management options. Like many other disorders, there are various approaches to treating and managing care for asthmatic patients depending on individual patient factors.  

One method that supports the clinical decision making of drug therapy plans for asthmatic patients is the stepwise approach, which you explore in this Assignment.

To Prepare

• Reflect on drugs used to treat asthmatic patients, including long-term control and quick relief treatment options for patients. Think about the impact these drugs might have on patients, including adults and children.
• Consider how you might apply the stepwise approach to address the health needs of a patient in your practice.
• Reflect on how stepwise management assists health care providers and patients in gaining and maintaining control of the disease.

By Day 7 of Week 3

Create a 5- to 6-slide PowerPoint presentation that can be used in a staff development meeting on presenting different approaches for implementing the stepwise approach for asthma treatment. Be sure to address the following:

• Describe long-term control and quick relief treatment options for the asthma patient from your practice as well as the impact these drugs might have on your patient.
• Explain the stepwise approach to asthma treatment and management for your patient.
• Explain how stepwise management assists health care providers and patients in gaining and maintaining control of the disease. Be specific.

1. Which cancers originate from connective tissue?
2. Carcinoma refers to abnormal cell proliferation originating from which tissue origin?
3. What are characteristics of cancer in situ?
4. Cells from a muscle tumor show a reduced ability to form new muscle and appear highly disorganized. This is an example of what abnormal physiology?
5. What are tumor cell markers? What is the purpose of tumor cell markers?
6. What is apoptosis?
7. What are oncogenes?
8. Why are two “hits” required to inactivate tumor-suppressor genes?
9. How do cancer cells use the enzyme telomerase?
10. What are characteristics of benign tumors?
11. What is the major virus involved in cervical cancer?
12. Which of the viruses are oncogenic DNA viruses?
13. Which cancers are associated with chronic inflammation? How does chronic inflammation cause cancer?
14. A pathology report stages a tumor as T2, N1, M0. What is the meaning of this finding?
15. Why do nausea and vomiting occur after cancer therapy?
16. Which cytokine is involved in producing cachexia syndrome?
17. Normally, which cells, are considered immortal (never die)?
18. What are the common routes for distant metastasis?

Chapter 13: Cancer Epidemiology

1. Which characteristic among women correlates with a high morbidity of cancer of the colon, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, breast, uterus, and kidney?
2. What substance has been shown to increase the risk of cancer when used in combination with tobacco smoking?
3. Which diagnostic tests provide the greatest exposure to ionizing radiation?
4. Tobacco smoking is associated with which cancers?
5. What are the most important risk factors associated with the development of skin melanoma?
6. Which environmental factors has been shown to have the greatest effect on the frequency of genetic mutations in humans?
7. Research data support the relationship between ultraviolet sunlight exposure and the development of which cancers?
8. Alcohol consumption has been proven to be a consistent risk factor in the development of which of the major cancers?

Chapter 14: Cancer in Children

1. What congenital malformation is commonly linked to acute leukemia in children?
2. When are childhood cancers most often diagnosed?
3. Prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) can result in which cancer?
4. What percentage of children with cancer can be cured?
5. Most childhood cancers arise from which tissue?
6. Chronic myelogenous leukemia, retinoblastoma, and osteosarcoma are associated with which genetic factors in childhood cancers?
7. Childhood exposure to which risk factors increases susceptibility to cancer?
8. There are research data to support a carcinogenic relationship in children resulting from exposure to which virus?