Nursing Diagnoses and Functional Health Patterns in Patients Receiving External Radiation Therapy: Cancer of the Head and Neck

Abstract

A descriptive study using clinical methods was conducted to identify and describe core and site-specific symptoms reported by 15 patients with cancer of the head or neck who received external radiation therapy. A 45-item Kadiation Syniptom Scale (RSS) was designed by the investigators for this study. Symptoms identified by patients with a mean occurrence of at Ieasr "sometimes" were considered potential defining characteristics and were submitted to a panel of experts for identification o f nursing diagnoses. Eighteen nursing diagnoses with their associated defining characteristics were identified and classified within eight Functional Health Patterns. Half of the nursing diagnoses were formulated within the Nutrilional-Metabolic and Artivity-Exercise health patterns. Four of the health patterns were primarily physiologic; four were primarily psychologic-behavioral. Results of the study describe the nursing needs of patients who receive radiotherapy t o the head and neck and are formulated within a nursing diagnosis/Functional Health Pattern framework. These findings have implications for nursing assessment, nursing interventions. and evaluation of patient outcomes. and findings provide a beginning empiric basis for identifying nursing diagnoses and their associated defining characteristics for cancer patients who receive external radiation therapy.

Nursing Diagnoses in Patients With Leukemia

“…Most of the nursing diagnoses could be classified in the Nutritional-Metabolic, Activity-Exercise, Role-Relationship, Coping-Stress Tolerance, and Cognitive-Perceptual patterns. These findings confirm the results of other researchers (Woodtli & Ort, 1991), signifying the importance of these patterns in cancer nursing.…”

The hidden experience of radiotherapy to the head and neck: a qualitative study of patients after completion of treatment

“…Existing research tends to focus on the symptom distress felt and not the whole experience of treatment (King et al 1985, Munro et al 1989, Woodtli & Van Ort 1991. These studies are limited by the fact that they investigate symptoms in radiotherapy patients in general, rather than in cancer speci®c groups.…”

Nursing diagnoses and functional health patterns in patients receiving external radiation therapy: cancer of the digestive organs.

“…In a second study, Woodtli and Van Ort (1991a) reported both general and site-specific side effects in 15 patients treated for cancer of the head and neck. They found that one third of the symptoms patients most frequently associated with radiation therapy to the head and neck were site-specific and included sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, dry mouth, loss of olfaction, and hoarseness.…”