Essay Example on Oncology Nursing Roles

Lemonde & Paymans article is quite informative and educative since the author outlines major challenges affecting nurses in offering oncology care. According to Lemonde & Payman (2015) oncology nurses do not practice to the full extent of their training because their perceived roles do not correspond with daily practices. Additionally, the respondents noted that there is a need to ensure sustained leadership and professional development to meet the current complex needs of the patients. Moreover, nurses should work in collaboration with other practitioners to provide continued care. Based on the above results and discussions in the article, the author prompts me to change my perspective regarding oncology nursing. In particular, the authors work appears to resonate with my understanding regarding oncology nursing. Therefore, this article affects my thinking in various ways. First, the authors assertions add insight concerning the contributions of nurses in promoting health outcomes among cancer patients. Although Lemonde & Payman (2015) do not address the issue of nursing leadership effectively, they propose important health care restricting approaches that can enhance nurses roles. This assertion is consistent with my thinking and perception concerning the role of practitioners in oncology nursing.

Secondly, while most studies focus on addressing patient comfort, security, and confidentiality, Lemonde & Paymans article emphasizes on the need to provide an enabling environment for nurses. I am particularly fascinated by Lemonde & Paymans inclusion of one of the responses by one of the nurses who states keeping in mind that they have a family, and there is a unit associated with that person as one of the main themes (Lemonde & Payman, 2015). In a similar fashion, instead of focusing on implementing a successful continuum of care, Lemonde & Payman propose the importance of continued nursing leadership and professional development. Prior reading this article, I held the view that long-term survivorship and continued revision of the current specialty content are among the greatest aspects in oncology nursing. However, the authors introduce new literature that changes my philosophy regarding cancer treatment and oncology nursing. To a large extent, the authors believe that family systems and other sub-characteristics on the side of the patient play a pivotal role in affecting the outcome. I believe that the knowledge gained through the authors perspective may lead to important contributions in my career as a registered nurse. It appears that the author advocates for the need to create customized plans for clients as well as to implement approaches that increase psychological and emotional support for the patients.

In brief, this information is relevant in my career, as registered nurses should coordinate care among physicians and other professionals. In the sub-section Individualized Holistic Care, the authors add information that is similar to my thoughts, especially on the importance of providing customized treatment plans for patients. I believe that this information is particularly important for registered nurses due to their role in offering individualized care. Interestingly, Lemonde & Payman advise practitioners to take care of patients spiritual needs as part of holistic care. Although I perceived the importance of considering the beliefs and spirituality of the client, I did not think there is much value and significance in the process.

References

Lemonde, M., & Payman, N. (2015). Perceived roles of oncology nursing.Canadian Oncology

Nursing Journal/Revue canadienne de soins infirmiers en oncologie, 25(4), 422-431