Carmela Hoefling, RN, Discusses the Challenges of Treating Patients with Pancreatic Cancer
Carmela Hoefling, RN, MSN, APN-C, AOCNP, advanced practice nurse, Gastrointestinal/Hepatobiliary Oncology Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, discusses some of the challenges that nurses face when treating patients who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Carmela Hoefling, RN, MSN, APN-C, AOCNP, advanced practice nurse, Gastrointestinal/Hepatobiliary Oncology Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, discusses some of the challenges that nurses face when treating patients who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Hoefling says pancreatic cancer is a difficult disease to treat and to manage. Pancreatic cancer patients are often very sick and suffer from pain, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss. There is also a huge psychological component not only for the patients, but also for their families, Hoefling says.
Since many of these patients are very fearful, it is important for oncology nurses to alleviate these fears by keeping them abreast of what to expect during the course of their treatment, Hoefling says.
