‘The First Role of the Nurse Is Being an Advocate,’ MPN Specialist Says
Nurses treating patients with MPNs should remember to advocate for and empower them.
When it comes to caring for individuals with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), oncology nurses should know that one of the first roles of being a nurse is being an advocate for patients, according to Patrick Buxton, RN, BSN.
Buxton, who is clinical nurse coordinator with the hematology department at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, in Seattle, Washington, explained that many MPN symptoms — including depression — can be interconnected. Once these symptoms are managed, patients may feel like they have things better under control.
“If you get all of the symptoms under control, and continually encourage the patients to take their own life into their hands, and continually to empower them, eventually, changes happen,” Buxton said.
READ MORE: Onco-Nursing Experts Define Best Practices, Treatment Considerations for Managing Patients With MPNs
