As a nursing student it is important to identify important aspects of care specific to a prostate cancer diagnosis. If this disease is in my husband's future, here are a few things I would expect from the RN.
EDUCATION with a little bit of PATIENCE:
EDUCATION with a little bit of PATIENCE:
- Understanding this disease is going to have very different impacts on the patient's life and that there is not ONE right answer for every patient is key to nursing care at the point of diagnosis.
- Patient's choices may be impacted by age, actual and the age that they FEEL, sexual relationships, what they have heard from friends or on the internet
- Providing support and resources to assist men in making the right decision for them and acknowledging that this decision may change through the course of their treatment
Provide patient with education materials and most importantly provide them with TIME to choose what is best for them.
NURSING CARE FOR DIFFERENT TREATMENT PLANS:
Active Surveillance:
Use the teach-back method to have patient discuss the plan for monitoring PSA's and discuss what they will do if they have worsening symptoms.
Nurses will follow-up with patients to check in on mental well-being, how they are handling the "wait it out" period that may include increased anxiety.
External Beam Radiation Therapy:
To address possibility of fatigue, irritative bladder symptoms or bowel disturbances:
- Encourage exercise and activity: number one prevention technique to combat fatigue
- encourage fluid intake, IV fluids to dilute the urine and make it less irritative
- monitor bowel tones, bowel movements
Brachytherapy:
- encourage fluids
- discuss prescribed medications
- discuss possible sexual dysfunction
- **discuss the risk of radiation exposure to pregnant women and infants
Prostatectomy:
Post-op care: patient will have a urinary catheter placed
- maintain patent catheter
- control pain
- discharge teaching, how to care for a foley catheter
Androgen Suppression:
- pain control
- increase/maintain activity status to combat fatigue: walking programs, bicycling
- encourage positive sleep environments: no long naps, maintain regular schedule
- maintain adequate fluid intake, proper hydration includes 10 ounces of water every 2 hours
- check on emotional status/disturbances
SOME WEBSITES that describe NURSING CARE for PROSTATE CANCER:
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http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/456664_2
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