Cancer affects everyone—the recipient of the diagnosis, the caregivers, and the concerned and frightened friends and loved ones. However, patients remain the focus of nursing care. This comprehensive course covers many complexities of state-of-the-art cancer care. Cancer has in some ways become a chronic illness, with many phases, signposts, and trajectories. Survivorship care is an integral part of cancer care. It begins at diagnosis and continues through long-term follow-up care, with a focus on disease surveillance and quality-of-life issues. Precision medicine is a growing field of cancer therapy that aims to deliver individualized treatments tailored against specific molecular or genetic alterations that promote the development of cancer. The information provided in this course has been mapped to the Oncology Nurses Certification examination and is appropriate for nurses caring for patients with cancer in any setting. The purpose of the course is to empower nurses to optimize patient outcomes by incorporating into their practice a solid foundation in their approach to care of patients with cancer. Further specialization in the many aspects of oncology nursing care can follow this overview.
- INTRODUCTION
- BIOLOGY OF CANCER
- EPIDEMIOLOGY
- SCREENING AND EARLY DETECTION
- CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TUMOR STAGING
- SURGICAL PROCEDURES IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCER
- RADIATION THERAPY
- CHEMOTHERAPY AND SAFE HANDLING
- TARGETED THERAPIES AND IMMUNOTHERAPY
- VASCULAR ACCESS IN ONCOLOGY
- HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION
- CANCER PAIN
- COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN CANCER CARE
- ONCOLOGY SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT
- CANCER CLINICAL TRIALS
- ONCOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES
- LUNG CANCER
- COLORECTAL CANCER
- BREAST AND PROSTATE CANCER
- OVARIAN AND ENDOMETRIAL CANCERS
- KIDNEY CANCER
- BLADDER CANCER
- CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND PANCREATIC CANCERS
- SKIN CANCERS
- HEMOTAOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES
- PSYCHOSOCIAL DIMENSIONS IN CANCER CARE
- CANCER IN THE OLDER AND LGBTQIA+ POPULATIONS
- SPECIAL CONCERNS IN THE CARE OF THE CANCER PATIENT
- CANCER SURVIVORSHIP AND PALLIATIVE AND HOSPICE CARE
- QUALITY, SAFETY, AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTH CARE
- COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN ONCOLOGY
This course is designed for all nurses involved in the care of patients with cancer in all practice settings.
The purpose of this course is to provide nurses with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide optimal care to patients with cancer.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Describe cancer trends in the United States and worldwide.
- Describe risk factors for cancer development and prevention and screening methods.
- Analyze methods used to diagnose the presence of malignancy, including imaging and biopsies, and to stage tumors based on the extent of disease in the body.
- Review cancer treatment modalities, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy including the safe handling of drugs, vascular access, and selected targeted and immunologic therapies.
- Evaluate complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies and their role in the support of cancer patients.
- Describe ethical considerations important to conducting clinical research with human subjects, the phases of clinical trial studies, and the role of the nurse.
- Recognize the most common side effects associated with cancer treatment, signs and symptoms of oncologic emergencies, and appropriate clinical interventions.
- Describe epidemiologic trends, risk factors, symptoms, detection, and treatment methods and nursing care of solid tumors involving, the lungs, colorectal cancer, breast and prostate, ovarian and endometrial cancers, the kidney and/or bladder, the central nervous system and pancreas, and the skin.
- Describe epidemiologic trends relating to lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia; diagnosis and treatment methods; and nursing care for each of these hematologic malignancies.
- Identify psychosocial, financial, and structural stressors and coping and support strategies for patients and their families including older patients, multicultural populations, and those of other sexual orientations.
- Discuss the important aspects of survivorship care, palliative care, the hospice model, pain management, and quality-of-life and end-of-life issues.
- Identify select professional issues, including the importance of promoting quality care, patient safety, and performance improvement strategies and the use of technology and innovations.
Amanda Brink, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP,
Anna Liza Rodriguez, MHA, MSN, RN, OCN,
Ashley Martinez, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, CBCN, CPHQ, NEA-BC,
Catherine Glennon, RN, MHS, NE-BC, OCN,
Chris Rimkus, MSN, APRN, AOCN,
Diane G. Cope, PhD, ARNP, BC, AOCNP,
Gabriele Urschel, DNP, FNP-C, AOCNP,
Joanne Dalusung, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, CCRN, VA-BC,
Lori Parke, MSN, DNP, FNP,
Marcelle Kaplan, MS, RN, AOCN-Emeritus, CBCN Emeritus,
Megan Leary, MS, RN, AGCNS, OCN,
Suzanne M. Mahon, RN, DNSc, AOCN, AGN-BC,
Terry Argent, MSN, RN, OC,
Contributing faculty, Amanda Brink, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Anna Liza Rodriguez, MHA, MSN, RN, OCN, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Ashley Martinez, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, CBCN, CPHQ, NEA-BC, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Catherine Glennon, RN, MHS, NE-BC, OCN, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Chris Rimkus, MSN, APRN, AOCN, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Diane G. Cope, PhD, ARNP, BC, AOCNP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Gabriele Urschel, DNP, FNP-C, AOCNP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Joanne Dalusung, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, CCRN, VA-BC, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Lori Parke, MSN, DNP, FNP, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Marcelle Kaplan, MS, RN, AOCN-Emeritus, CBCN Emeritus, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Megan Leary, MS, RN, AGCNS, OCN, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Suzanne M. Mahon, RN, DNSc, AOCN, AGN-BC, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Contributing faculty, Terry Argent, MSN, RN, OC, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
June Thompson, DrPH, MSN, RN, FAEN
The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.
#30130: Oncology Nursing: A Comprehensive Review
This comprehensive course covers many complexities of state-of-the-art cancer care. Cancer has in some ways become a chronic illness, with many phases, signposts, and trajectories. Survivorship care is an integral part of cancer care.
Mention of commercial products does not indicate endorsement.