Combining Relationship-Based Care With Evidence-Based Practice Can Improve Your Nursing Game

Individuals who have cancer want to be seen for who they are, not for the disease they have, which becomes difficult when it presents itself, literally, on the face they show to the world.

One of the most difficult aspects of head and neck cancer is its public nature. Evidence of many other cancers is not always visible, but when treatment results in disfigurement of the head and neck, survivors must learn to cope with those effects. Nurses need to be prepared for the social and emotional toll the disease may take on these patients, as well as the complex comorbidities that often accompany it. This is where nurse educators like Colleen O’Leary, MSN, RN, AOCNS, highlighted in the cover story of the April issue of Oncology Nursing News^®, come in. O’Leary trains others on how to support head and neck cancer survivors. She teaches and practices evidence-based care, emphasizing the need for sympathy and understanding for what can be a difficult patient population with complex comorbidities.

Also in this issue: How should nurses address the trend of patients fasting during cancer treatment? Some patients say fasting offers some benefit, and animal studies have demonstrated that it reduced toxicity and increased efficacy of chemotherapy, but there is not yet enough research to say for certain. Because the jury is still out, Editor-in-Chief Lisa Schulmeister, MN, RN, FAAN, urges nurses to be aware of this trend and be able to discuss it with patients, especially those who should not be fasting.

This month’s feature story focuses on an oncology nurse who is also a fitness trainer and educator. Alene Nitzky, PhD, RN, OCN, synthesized her skills and education into a consulting business that caters to cancer survivors looking for extra support outside the hospital setting. She incorporates creativity, authenticity, resourcefulness, and empathy in wellness consulting. Her book Navigating the C discusses the different stakeholders in cancer care and how all can do a better job of supporting people going through the cancer experience.

This issue of Oncology Nursing News also features a nurse navigator’s first-person experience supporting patients with cancer who were displaced by hurricanes, as well as a column on the ethics of doing favors for patients. It also highlights a study in which acupuncture reduced joint pain for patients who were treated with aromatase inhibitors.

In addition, Angela Treanor, RN, BA, explains how nurses who participate in fund-raisers do more than just raise money—they share their belief in hope for the future of oncology. Lastly, this issue’s clinical insights offer background on the US Preventive Services Task Force’s (USPSTF’s) recommendation against ovarian cancer screening in average- and low-risk women; how older patients with colorectal cancer are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease; the significance of geography, race, and genetics in endometrial cancer; and exercise’s effects on the recovery of arm mobility in women who have had lymph node dissection. We hope you find these articles informative—and, as always, thank you for reading.

Mike Hennessy Sr

Chairman and CEO