Nurses will be part of your health-care team during your breast cancer experience. They will be there for you, ready to answer questions and assist you in any way. If possible, the nurses who care for you will be oncology nurses. Even if the nurses do other things besides oncology nursing, however, they will still be able to give you the necessary treatments and care.
What They Will Look For
Oncology nurses will look for any signs that any part of your treatment is having adverse effects. They will monitor your vital signs, temperature blood pressure and respiration, as well as observe you for any signs of infection, skin degradation or changes that may have occurred since your last visit or the last time they saw you.
If you are undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments, they will look to see how well you are tolerating the treatments and will take any steps they need in order to help you.
How They Will Manage Your Care
The nurses will treat symptoms and conditions as they appear. If you are nauseated, they will give you medication that will calm the nausea. If you have sores from radiation therapy, they will treat them with antibiotics, either topical, oral or through IV so that the risk of infection will be decreased.
If your lab results show that you are becoming anemic, nurses can begin to treat you with medication that will help raise your white blood cell count. In this way, you will be less susceptible to infections.
If the nurses notice, or if you tell them, that you are excessively fatigued, they and your doctor will determine what can be done. It may be something as simple as prescribing a mild sleep aid or pain medication, or they may consider trying another course of treatment.
Other Duties
Besides providing hands-on care, your nurses will report their findings, treatment protocols and observations to the doctor. They will tell him what treatment methods they have used or have available and will administer them accordingly.
Nurses also may report any concerns that you or they have concerning your home care. They can arrange to have someone from the Social Services department consult with you. These employees can help you arrange for transportation, if that is your problem, or recommend home visits on those days you do not see your doctor or go for treatment.
In addition, they will give you, your family members or caregiver instructions on care for wounds or what to look for regarding complications or side effects of cancer treatment.
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