To offer personal and professional perspectives on survivorship.
Data Sources
Personal experience, publications, government resources.
Conclusion
Challenges experienced by the cancer patient are influenced by numerous factors, including age, type and extent of cancer, treatment schedule and effects, financial well-being, access to support and follow-up, information needs, and family reactions. Challenges are eased through a kind word and guidance from those whom patients lean on the most and respect, the nurse.
Implications for Nursing Practice
Nurses play an important role in preparing the patient and their families to have realistic expectations and balance the demands along the journey of survivorship.
National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Address correspondence to Jean Jenkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Dr, Bldg 31, Room 4B09, Bethesda, MD 20892
ABSTRACT