RESUMO
BACKGROUNDPURPOSE: Immunotherapy is a new treatment option for patients with Lung Cancer (LC). However, relatively limited research has explored about patients' perception of hope and its associated factors during the process. This study aimed to examine level of perceived hope and the factors related to hope, with a particular focus on treatment and physically related factors, in LC patients receiving immunotherapy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted and patients who had already received at least one immunotherapy cycle were recruited from two hospitals in northern Taiwan. The questionnaire included a background information form, the Herth's Hope Index, and the Symptom Severity Scale. Stepwise regression was applied to identify the most robust factors related to level of hope in the participants. RESULTS: A total of 130 patients were recruited. Overall, patients reported moderate to high levels of hope and mild symptoms. Fatigue, weakness, appearance changes, pruritus, and shortness of breath were identified as the most severe symptoms. Further regression analysis showed that patients with poor performance status, less immunotherapy cycles, higher level of fatigue, and more severe pruritus reported to have lower level of hope which explained 47% of the variances. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that lung cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy had moderate level of hope. Patients' performance status, selected symptoms and times of receiving immunotherapy were the robust factors related to hope. Systematic assessment of patients' symptoms and the development of appropriate interventions to reduce distress and enhance hope are strongly recommended for both clinical care and research.
RESUMO
A nursing experience applying Swanson`s caring theory in the care of a teenage patient who received Nuss procedure for his pectus excavatum is described in this article. After the operation, the patient suffered from postoperative pain, lack of knowledge, and body-image disturbance. These symptoms influenced the patient`s physical and mental health, and prompted the author to do an in-depth investigation and discussion of this case. The nursing period lasted from July 3rd to 10th, 2019. The author conducted a comprehensive nursing assessment using observation, interviews, listening, and telephone interviews. The major problems identified were acute pain, lack of knowledge, and body-image disturbance. During the nursing period, the author established a good therapeutic relationship with the patient. The author applied Swanson`s caring theory to understand the patient`s healthcare needs and provide appropriate care. The author discussed the treatment direction with the patient, applied cognitive-behavioral strategies to relieve pain, educated the patient on developing and implementing individualized rehabilitation plans to establish correct posture in daily activities, and helped the patient adapt to post-operative changes in appearance and maintain a positive attitude toward the future. The age gap between the author and the patient required that the author spend additional time communicating with the patient to encourage him to open up his mind. It is recommended that hospitals offer youth communication skills lessons for nurses to enhance their communication and care skills with people of different age groups. In sharing this nursing experience, we hope to provide medical staff with a reference for caring for adolescent patients with disease-related body-image disturbance.