Putting the 'Care' in Caregiving

Do you have a patient who has recently been diagnosed with cancer? The journey can be an emotional one for everyone. As nurses, we become very involved in our patients’ lives. Here are some ways you can better care for your patients who are diagnosed with cancer.

Be There

While, as a nurse, our job is to provide medical care for our patients, it is important to try and go the extra mile as much as we can to show how much we care and are there for them.

First, be their emotional support, especially if they do not have family and friends close by. A cancer diagnosis is hard to handle. There are moments of ups and downs. When you are able to, take time to let them talk to you about what they are going through and how they feel. There is going to be some negativity at times on their end, so try your best to be their positive light in the dark moments. Communication is extremely important during this time.

Also, while you want to push your patients in order to help them enjoy and gain as much quality of life as possible, it is also important to remember their limitations, so you don’t push them too hard or too far. For example, on a treatment day, they may not be as hungry, so try to get them to eat what they can for nourishment, but be supportive if they cannot consume the entire meal.

In addition, learn how you can better care for the patient in terms of feeding, grooming, dressing, etc. The better you can address their needs, the better they will feel about themselves, which will help them keep their positivity and strength up for fighting the disease.

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