Application Essay: Nursing a Breast Cancer Patient

Application Essay: Nursing a Breast Cancer Patient



Introduction

According to Arman et al. (2002), the reason behind expressing suffering is to free oneself from more suffering and this concept is also applies to the women with breast cancer. On the one hand, they have to protect themselves from their deepest grave feelings, on the other; they often do not express their suffering to protect others from their distress. Women with breast cancer need energy so that they can maintain control over their life and also to hold back their emotions to protect themselves from despair which could overwhelm their will power. Owing to this fact when in contact with their health care providers, they are hesitant to show their suffering despite being in deep despair and extremely vulnerable. They suffer from emotional distress, fatigue, physical perception and altered body image during their treatment as well as thereafter process (De Jong et al. 2002). The symptoms of therapies and treatment also influence their quality of life. Women with breast cancer suffer from severe pain in the week after the surgery and they need physical care along with psychological support and comfort (Melinyshyn and Wintonic, 2006). Owing to these facts, they expect empathy and professional competence from oncology nurses, to whom they can share their suffering and their support also essentially influence their coping process during and after treatment.

This paper will also evaluate the clinical situation in which a nurse is diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent mastectomy. Her condition deteriorated when her port-a-cath insertion went wrong and she had to go through Under Water Seal Drainage in order to drain the blood from right lung damaged by the wrong insertion. The paper not only evaluates the given mentioned clinical situation but will also analyse it in the light of different studies and researches. Further it discusses how the experience influenced me personally and how it will help me from professionally. At last, summary of the paper will be provided.

Description of Clinical Situation

A nurse, age 45 years, diagnosed with breast cancer was admitted to the hospital after her lumpectomy biopsy was carried out. Based on the results of biopsy which showed that her cancer was large, she needed mastectomy. However, she delayed the reconstruction. Her both underarm lymph were checked for the cancer and it was found in the right breast. She needs radiography later on.

But her situation was deteriorated when the Port-a-Cath was wrongfully inserted in the right lung. This incorrect insertion punctured her right lung and caused severe damage. Her lung started bleeding immediately. Due to this fact, another surgery for an insertion of Under Water Seal Catheter had to be conducted to drain the blood from her right lung. During all this process, she suffered a great deal of pain, despite of being on anesthesia as the nurse had to go through two surgeries one after another.

She stayed for two weeks in the hospital during which she most of the time she ...