Care for those who Care

The demanding, continuous, challenging and rewarding role oncology nurses have is one that is respected throughout the healthcare community. Patients, caregivers, and patients’ families rely heavily on the physical, mental, and emotional contributions made by oncology nurses daily. The high-intensity environment of oncology care has the potential to take a toll on any individuals’ well-being. As a vital member of the healthcare team, it is important to re-iterate the importance of the role of the nurse and to provide additional resources to ensure supportive care for this special cohort of individuals.

Listed in the additional reading section are articles, journals, and other information specifically for oncology nurses that explore important underlying factors facing oncology nurses today, including, but not limited to:

• Emotional, physical and psychological stresses associated with the oncology field with some examples of coping mechanisms
• The positive impact of oncology nurses on outcomes and patient’s quality of life

Additional Reading:

• Vaezi M, Vala M, Souri M, Mousavi A, Ghavamzadeh A. Emotional, social and occupational adjustment among oncology nurses. Int J Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Res. 2016; 10(4):195-199. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5139937/ Accessed June 30, 2019.
• Ko W, Kiser-Larson N. Stress levels of nurses in oncology outpatient units. Clin J Oncol Nurse. 2016;20(2):158-164. Available at: https://cjon.ons.org/cjon/20/2/stress-levels-nurses-oncology-outpatient-units. Accessed June 30, 2019.
• Spurek, S. Caring for cancer patients: A nurse’s perspective. Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20171030191501/http://www.cancercenter.com/community/newsletter/article/caring-for-cancer-patients-a-nurses-perspective/. Accessed June 30, 2019.
• Cooper JM, Loeb SJ, Smith CA. The primary care nurse practitioner and cancer survivorship care. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2010; 22(8):394-402. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1745-7599.2010.00528.x. Accessed June 30, 2019
• Balboni MJ, Sullivan A, Amobi A et al. Why is Spiritual Care Infrequent at the End of Life? Spiritual care perceptions among patients, nurses, and physicians and the role of training. J Clin Oncol. 2013;31(4):461-467. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4878036/. Accessed June 30, 2019.
• Lim HA, Tan JYS, Liu J, et al. Strengthening Resilience and Reducing Stress in Psychosocial Care for Nurses Practicing in Oncology Settings. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2016;47(1):8-10. Available at: https://www.healio.com/nursing/journals/jcen/2016-1-47-1/%7B35bdd3b7-f31e-4d54-a022-b15312d26cf2%7D/strengthening-resilience-and-reducing-stress-in-psychosocial-care-for-nurses-practicing-in-oncology-settings#divReadThis Accessed June 30, 2019.
• Lievrouw A, Vanheule S, Deveugele M, Vos M, Pattyn P, Belle V, Benoit DD. Coping with moral distress in oncology practice: Nurse and physcian strategies. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2016; 43(4):505-512. Available at: https://onf.ons.org/onf/43/4/coping-moral-distress-oncology-practice-nurse-and-physician-strategies Accessed June 30, 2019.
• Lai XB, Ching SSY, Wong FKY. Nurse-led cancer care: A scope review of the past 2 years (2003-2016). Int J Nurs Sci. 2017;4(2):184-195. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352013216302058. Accessed July 29, 2019.
• Wittenberg-Lyles E, Goldsmith J, Reno J. Perceived Benefits and Challenges of an Oncology Nurse Support Group. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2014, 18(4), E71-E76. Doi: 10.1188/14.CJON.E71-E76