Nursing Case Study | Breast Cancer

Running head: NURSING CASE STUDY
A CARE PLAN FOR A PATIENT SUFFERING FROM BREAST CANCER
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

NURSING CASE STUDY
Introduction
The prevalence of breast cancer is increasing at a constant rate and is found to
increase with age. In 2017, it was 2017; it was found that 21% of the cases diagnosed in
women more than 50 years and 42% in women above the age of 65 years (Cancer.org.au
2019). Therefore, it is exceedingly important to understand the symptoms and signs for breast
cancer at an early phase for offering effective treatment, thus, reducing the mortality rate.
With new and advanced technology, it is possible to save a person from cancer if it is
detected at an early phase of the disease. Each individual has different health needs, and
addressing them in order to formulate a plan of care is critical in the nursing practice. This
can be done by using the Socioecological framework that helps in critical thinking. The aim
of the essay is to develop a care plan based on the provided case study of Amy, who was
diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. The health need, in this case, is
the management of the increased risk of infection related to chemotherapy treatment as per
the information demonstrated in the video and development of a plan of care effectively
addressing the issue.
Discussion
The Person
The case study is related to Amy, who had moved from Wisconsin, USA, along with
her husband to Australia. They had received Australian citizenship prior to resettling in
Maroochydore, which is situated in the coastal town in the Sunshine Coast Region. They
were happily residing as they grew vegetables, cooked their own food and thus, making most
of their time in the new and warm country. Amy was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and after
evaluation and exploration of a number of options, they finally resort to the choice of
chemotherapy that would be followed by surgery and radiation at a later stage as per the
outcome of the present treatment procedure. She is currently administered with the second
dosage of the first round of chemo and is new to cancer. From the video, it was found that in
the initial time, her hair felt sensitive that subsequently lead to hair falling at an extensive
rate. She, along with her husband, visited the hospital where she was given 2 syringes of
Adriamycin and one hour of cytotax. It was found from the video footage that she was eating
food from time to time. She had carried food from her home and have them when she is
hungry. It was seen that she was enjoying watching a video of a cookery show and was
having hummus, which she kept open. Therefore, it was clear that there could be an increased
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NURSING CASE STUDY
risk of infection due to chemotherapy treatment through the food. As per the opinion of
Wagner et al. (2017), chemotherapy is a process that comprises the immune system and
increases the risk of acquiring an infection. This is because it reduces the number of white
blood cells (WBCs) that fight against infection. In this period, the body can acquire infection
from insignificant sources, even in the case of food-borne disease.
Close Interpersonal Relationships
From the evaluation of the case study, it can be stated that there is a requirement of
the establishment of a close and interpersonal relationship with the nurse that will allow in
creating an appropriate and effective care plan for the management of infection. According to
Jacobs and Shulman (2017), the role of the nurse in planning and delivery of care is critical in
nature as they help in bridging all the gaps between the patient party and medical
professionals. The initial nursing assessment can be done based on the Corbin and Strauss
Illness Trajectory Model that is applied in situations where the patient is suffering from
chronic disease. Burke et al. (2016) opined that the development of knowledge in nursing
practice offers a structure and form in the healthcare setting; thus, utilization of the theory
results in observation and drawing an inference based on data collection, exchange of
information, and mutual understanding between the nurses and patients. This allows in
mitigation of the need for professional service in nursing. The trajectory that is taken into
consideration in this particular case is the patient’s habits, attitude, and nursing intervention.
During the process of treatment, the role of the patient and caregiver is observed as an
engagement of a series of critical tasks that are important to adhere to the proposed therapies
and attaining the goals in the treatment (Kitko et al. 2017). Therefore, the transition from
active cancer treatment to life is found to be a significant predictor in the case of future
outcomes specifically for the psychological and emotional health and well-being of
caregivers and patients. Therefore, the establishment of a close and interpersonal relationship
is noted to be critical in the case of palliative care as such care process requires integrative
and comprehensive management of infectious diseases in the hospital. The task that the nurse
needs to undertake in this particular case is to aware of both Amy and Mark about the critical
risk of acquiring an infection during the period of chemotherapy. This involves stating the
adverse effects of the therapy as well as tips for preventing the causative agents, causing
infection.
Organization
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