Chronic Diseases: Breast Cancer Impact on Patients and Families with Nursing Support Strategies
Overview
This paper examines breast cancer as a chronic disease and its multifaceted impacts on patients and their families, with emphasis on psychosocial effects including trauma, depression, anxiety, and social isolation. The author discusses nursing strategies for supporting breast cancer patients through compassionate care, particularly in helping patients adjust to their new reality and maintain quality of life despite terminal illness.
What this essay covers
- Definition and overview of chronic diseases with breast cancer as primary example
- Psychosocial impacts of breast cancer diagnosis on patients including trauma, depression, and self-isolation
- Effects of chronic disease on patient quality of life and family burden including financial strain
- Nursing interventions and support strategies for patients and families
Preview
Chronic Diseases: Breast Cancer
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Title
Profesor's Name
Submission Date
Breast Cancer
Chronic diseases are conditions that last more than a year and often need continuous medical attention to limit the effects on the body ("About Chronic Diseases | CDC," n.d.). Examples include heart diseases, diabetes, and all forms of cancer, among others. They are among the leading causes of death in the world. The cause of chronic diseases is several but mostly includes risk behaviors like tobacco abuse and exposure to secondhand smoke, alcohol abuse, and poor diet. These are causes that people can prevent themselves from and save governments billions of money used in their treatments. In the United States, the country spends an average of $3.5 trillion in healthcare care costs for chronic diseases ("About Chronic Diseases | CDC," n.d.). This paper explores breast cancer impacts on patients and their families and strategies to use as a registered nurse in supporting such patients and their families.
Breast cancer patients go through a lot of trauma. This disease eats up the body's immune, leaving the body with minimal strength. Depending on the stage, chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery are among the treatments for this chronic disease (Alexander et al., 2019). All these treatment methods leave the patient in a bad state of mind because of trauma. It becomes challenging for the patients to adjust from their routine psychosocial life into their new lives.