Nursing Care Under Chemotherapy Desensitization Cancer itself is a difficult situation. The cure for cancer hasn’t still been discovered. It attacks the body in various parts and unfamiliar ways. Not only that it affects the person that has cancer, it also affects the people that surround that person. Some people have survived cancer and this is because there are treatments being developed to help cancer patients in battling their illness. The article, “Nursing Care of Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy Desensitization” is about cancer patients who experienced infusion and hypersensitivity reactions due to certain chemotherapy agents. Per Jakel et al. (2016), “Chemotherapy desensitization is a process that enables a patient to receive a treatment
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137). Jakel et al. continued, “UCLA protocol consists 12 or 16 steps based on the use of either three or four solutions of the chemotherapeutic agent, respectively” (p. 137). Patients with fewer risks undergo the 12-step protocol while patients with high risks undergo the 16-step protocol. Before any patient undergoes desensitization, consultations are made with a clinical allergist. Chemotherapeutic agents that are given are based on the patient’s hypersensitivity reaction history and clinical observations. After that, the patient is admitted to the ICU with a 1:1 patient-to-ICU nurse ratio. The nurse must hold chemotherapy and biotherapy certification and preferably oncology certified; the nurse must communicate with a respiratory therapist to inform planned desensitization. The patient is monitored with complete and functioning equipment. According to Jakel et al, “A complete nursing assessment must be performed prior to the start of the protocol” (p. 139). Continuous monitoring and a well-written order set are for successful desensitization. Patients are discharged two hours after completion of the desensitization. When reactions occur, the treatment is altered following the …show more content…
The article included that nurses do a lot of stuff for patients who go through desensitization. They are one of the people who are responsible for bringing the best care for the patients. In situations like this, the nursing process is involved in the wellness of the cancer patients. Nurses are hands-on with the patient from the start until the end of the process of desensitization and they need to think critically about the possible adverse effects of the chemotherapy and verifying the correct agents used. Nurses must double check everything that will be administered to the patient and how it should be done. They critically think of what succeeding steps needs to be followed when a certain reaction occurs. Nurses also help in educating patients about the chemotherapy and the proper ways to execute when reactions occur. They also need to use therapeutic communication with patients and to other personnel involved to pass on critical information. All the things that nurses are able to do are due to the studies conducted for the improvement of the wellness of
137). Jakel et al. continued, “UCLA protocol consists 12 or 16 steps based on the use of either three or four solutions of the chemotherapeutic agent, respectively” (p. 137). Patients with fewer risks undergo the 12-step protocol while patients with high risks undergo the 16-step protocol. Before any patient undergoes desensitization, consultations are made with a clinical allergist. Chemotherapeutic agents that are given are based on the patient’s hypersensitivity reaction history and clinical observations. After that, the patient is admitted to the ICU with a 1:1 patient-to-ICU nurse ratio. The nurse must hold chemotherapy and biotherapy certification and preferably oncology certified; the nurse must communicate with a respiratory therapist to inform planned desensitization. The patient is monitored with complete and functioning equipment. According to Jakel et al, “A complete nursing assessment must be performed prior to the start of the protocol” (p. 139). Continuous monitoring and a well-written order set are for successful desensitization. Patients are discharged two hours after completion of the desensitization. When reactions occur, the treatment is altered following the …show more content…
The article included that nurses do a lot of stuff for patients who go through desensitization. They are one of the people who are responsible for bringing the best care for the patients. In situations like this, the nursing process is involved in the wellness of the cancer patients. Nurses are hands-on with the patient from the start until the end of the process of desensitization and they need to think critically about the possible adverse effects of the chemotherapy and verifying the correct agents used. Nurses must double check everything that will be administered to the patient and how it should be done. They critically think of what succeeding steps needs to be followed when a certain reaction occurs. Nurses also help in educating patients about the chemotherapy and the proper ways to execute when reactions occur. They also need to use therapeutic communication with patients and to other personnel involved to pass on critical information. All the things that nurses are able to do are due to the studies conducted for the improvement of the wellness of