Care for the cancer patients ranges from the preventive stages of the disease to rehabilitating the patients and supporting them. Some of the areas that the nurses can specialize on include: Chemotherapy, radiation, cancer genetic counseling and symptom control among other areas of study. The professional nurse is found in many settings in pediatric cancer care for instance the inpatient, surgical areas and after care services. They are therefore available for consultation as they will ensure that the children are made comfortable at all times.
When the patient arrives at the health center, the nurse will undertake a physical examination and write down the medical history of the patients and as per the medical requirements order further investigation for possible treatment for the child (Itano & Taoka, 2005). By understanding the above mentioned role in cancer care it also encompasses most of the things that nurses deal in the care for children with cancer. Cancerous children are faced with various diseases and tumors. Some of the cancerous diseases that affect children are: Brain tumors
Brain tumors are very fatal diseases when proper care is not administered to the patients. This is worse in children as they are prone to various disabilities, which can impair the functions of the brain, their sight, hearing, movement as well as their personalities. “The nurses in this field of neuro-oncolocy need to be properly managed the symptom and side effects that come with the treatment (Pinkerton et al, 2007). ” Understanding the dangers brain cancer can cause is important as it will aid in supporting the patients and their families during the treatment process.
For this reason, specialized nurses are able to make informed decisions as well as ensure the physical and psychological progress of their patients is enhanced. Ewing’s sarcoma family of tumors also affect children. These tumors affect the bone and soft tissues that have similar biological composition. Epidemiology is a common primary bone tumor in children as it comprises 3% of pediatric malignancies (Tomlinson & Kline, 37). Oesteosarcoma is a form of bone cancer that affects children.
Exposure to the disease without proper form of medical care can lead to deformation of the limbs as the long bones are affected. Hematology Hematology mainly deals with the diseases that affect the blood and blood forming agents. Treatment for such patients is very complex given the nature of the disease and their effects to the patients. The nurses in this section are always required to provide care for the children throughout the treatment and constantly monitor their progress.
Leukemia is one of the hematology diseases that affect children. It accounts for about a third of children cancer cases (Tomlinson & Kline, 1). This disease occurs when there are abnormalities in the lymphoid cells and this in turn affects the production of white blood cells in the body which are important for the prevention of diseases. The condition can be acute or chronic and that is why nurses need to help patients detect the condition early when they are still treatable thus enhancing their chances of survival.