Annotation 2
Objective 2: To create an informational booklet that will discuss the most common physical, emotional, and psychological side effects that patient's going through cancer treatments face and find out what, if any, newer treatments are being offered by Rhode Island Hospital.
Activities/Resources:
- Obtaining treatment information from lead caregivers in the Cancer Center
- Discuss with a cancer patient and their family the toll chemo has on them physically, mentally and emotionally
- Research newly developed/developing cancer treatments using medically recognized journals and other sources
Evidence:
- Include in my portfolio the booklet I created comparing common cancer treatment to a relatively newer treatment the
Comprehensive Cancer Center at Rhode Island Hospital. The booklet will offer pros, cons, and limitations to each of the
cancer treatments
- Include in my portfolio an outline of symptoms one can experience during treatment and how caregivers can help
During my rotation in the Comprehensive Cancer Center located at Rhode Island Hospital, I had the privilege of witnessing all stages of cancer treatment and the role everyone—both the patients and their caregivers—played in this department. The following is a presentation I gave to Neurosurgery mid-levels about a relatively newer radiation treatment that the Cancer Center offers to patients. To truly understand what radiation is, how patients were informed and treated, and how they dealt with and recovered from the treatments, I spent a few days on the Radiation-Oncology floor. Here I experienced everything from immediate pre- and post-procedural preparations to new patient meetings with the radiologist, etc. I got to hear how a patient was told about what they would receive. This, together with my own online research, helped me to create the following pamphlet discussing Cyberknife radiation therapy, a technique developed over the last decade, with Gamma Knife radiation, a treatment developed a few decades ago.
The next piece of evidence is a quick overview of emotional aspects of a cancer diagnosis and of cancer treatment that could be given to a new or current cancer patient. I recognized the level of emotion in each of the cancer patients at each stage of their illness. The emotions ranged from reservation, to sadness or anger, to anxiety, etc. I asked my supervisor about the resources the hospital offered to patients going through such a difficult time: was there financial assistance, emotional assistance, or transportation assistance? I discovered a few of the ways the Cancer Center team helped patients deal with their diagnoses and spent a few days interviewing patients and shadowing clinical social work to create the following informational sheet on what a patient may feel, why they may be feeling that way, and how their team of medical professionals can help them to cope.
As I continued and completed my rotation in the Cancer Center, I recalled and utilized information I had learned in previous classes. A background in both anatomy and physiology was definitely useful in understanding what cancer was, where and how it was affecting patients, and why and how treatments were selected to treat different regions of the body, different types of cancer, and different types of patients. On the other hand, in a past kinesiology class, many lectures dealt with the emotional fluctuation that accompanied serious illnesses such as cancer including depression and anxiety. That class as well as a philosophy class entitled ethics, taught empathy and understanding. Both definitely gave me a better appreciation of what patients could be going through and the kind of help that may be most useful to them. The evidence I have displayed here shows my ability as an aspiring Nurse Practitioner to utilize the power of research and listening. These two skills are essential to success in the medical field. My presentation on Radiation Treatments exhibits my ability to seek out information and compile it concisely so as to best review pros, cons, and similarities whereas the informational sheet for cancer patients at the hospital illustrates my strength in listening to patients, finding commonalities in their concerns, and discovering ways to assist them. Undoubtedly, these skills will assist me in my future education and career.
