Impact of a Pivot Nurse in Oncology on Patients With Lung or Breast Cancer: Symptom Distress, Fatigue, Quality of Life, and Use of Healthcare Resources

Abstract

Experienced nurses with specialized knowledge of oncology symptom assessment and management may reduce the symptom burden experienced by ambulatory patients with breast or lung cancer during active treatment.

An integrative framework to support the assessment function of Quebec’s pivot nurses in oncology

“…In closing, while some studies focused on the role of PNOs in Quebec (Cook et al, 2013;Fillion et al, 2006Fillion et al, , 2008Fillion et al, , 2009Fillion et al, , 2010Fillion et al, , 2011Fillion et al, , 2012Hébert & Fillion, 2011;Skrutkowski et al, 2008), none of them speci cally addressed the PNOs' assessment function. This is why we recently undertook a qualitative study with some PNOs in the Québec City area by using our integrative framework (Fournier, 2011).…”

“…It is the case for the elderly, low-income and poorly educated people (Jennings-Sanders et al, 2005), as well as individuals living with lung cancer (Moore, 2002;Skrutkowski et al, 2008), ENT cancer (Fillion et al, 2009) and neurological cancer (Jackson, 2008). Finally, while some authors report that needs assessments must also include the patient's loved ones (Fillion et al, 2009;Wilcox & Bruce, 2010), in reality, very few of them have their needs assessed (Fillion et al, 2006).…”

“…The assessment can thus include the sociodemographic characteristics of referred individuals (Fawcett et al, 2007), their history and physical health condition (Jennings-Sanders et al, 2005;Liebert, et al, 2003), as well as mental health (Fawcett et al, 2007;Fillion et al 2006), the structure and functioning of their family and social network (Fawcett et al, 2007), the existence of nancial or functional problems (Fawcett et al, 2007), their understanding of their disease and treatment (Campbell et al, 2010;Goodwin, Satish, Anderson, Nattinger, & Freeman, 2003;Skrutkowski et al, 2008), and the resources they have to overcome the challenge and adapt to the disease (Campbell et al, 2010).…”

Les intervenants pivots solutionneront-ils le problème? Les soins infirmiers en oncologie en transition

“…La mise en place d'intervenants pivots désignés à cet effet peut donc être perçue comme une tentative bien intentionnée mais éventuellement malavisée d'employer une solution symbolique pour ce qui constitue un problème d'intégrité du système bien plus vaste et fondamental (Sofaer, 2009;Wells et al, 2008). Ce dont nous avons vraiment besoin est un engagement véritable du secteur public à l'é-gard d'un changement d'orientation relativement à la manière dont nous menons les opérations en soins de santé (Skrutkowski et al, 2008). Donc, nous devons bien aux Canadiens d'essayer d'aborder les causes fondamentales des discordances actuelles au lieu de nous borner à tenter d'y poser une attelle en instituant sur-le-champ une nouvelle catégorie de prestataires de soins.…”

The process of integrating oncology nurse navigators into joint (hospital-community) local teams

“…Most of the work on navigation completed in Canada dealt with professional navigation and improving continuity of care, from diagnosis to palliative care (Cancer Care Nova Scotia, 2004;BC Cancer Agency, 2005;Fillion et al, 2006;Skrutkowski et al, 2008).…”