A NURSE IN A TEAM MONITORING A PATIENT WITH LUNG CANCER

Karcinom pluća i bronha velik je javnozdravstveni problem te prednjači u mortalitetu u Hrvatskoj od svih ostalih malignih oboljenja. Rak pluća predstavlja najčešći oblik raka u muškaraca u Republici Hrvatskoj i treći je po učestalosti rak u žena (nakon raka dojke i debelog crijeva). Intervencije medicinske sestre kod bolesnika s karcinomom bronha nužne su i potrebne u svim fazama bolesti, od akutne faze do faze terminalne bolesti. Cilj je ovog rada prikazati važnost uloge medicinske sestre u timu za praćenje bolesnika s karcinomom bronha te prikazati brojne sestrinske intervencije koje medicinska sestra samostalno provodi kroz rad s onkološkim bolesnicima koji svoje liječenje provode kroz dnevnu bolnicu. U multidisciplinarnom timu zaduženom za praćenje bolesnika sa karcinomom bronha, sestrinske intervencije usmjerene su na akutno zbrinjavanje oboljelih, edukaciju bolesnika i obitelji, rehabilitaciju te u fazi kada je potrebno i na palijativnu skrb. Medicinske sestre unutar onkološkog tima osim općeg znanja i kliničkih vještina nužno posjeduju i znanje o citostaticima, njihovoj primjeni i komplikacijama te o najčešćim nuspojavama, a kako bi se postigao optimalan učinak liječenja. Praksa medicinskih sestara mora biti utemeljena na znanju, izvrsnim kliničkim vještinama, odgovornosti, etičkim načelima, pozitivnim stavovima i motivaciji. Medicinska sestra mora prepoznati probleme i potrebe bolesnika te specifične simptome koje sa sobom nosi maligna bolest. Medicinske sestre provode edukaciju bolesnika i njegove obitelji te pružaju psihološku pomoć tijekom cijelog procesa liječenja bolesnika. Na taj način pridonose kvaliteti života bolesnika i njegove okoline, najčešće obitelji.Lung cancer is a great public health issue and its mortality rates are leading among all other malignant diseases. Also, lung cancer stands as the most common form of cancer among men in the Republic of Croatia and is the third most common form of cancer among women (after breast cancer and colon cancer). The nurse's interventions concerning the patient with lung cancer are vital and necessary throughout all the phases of the disease, from acute to terminal illness phase. The goal of this paper is to portray the importance of the nurse's role in a team monitoring a patient with lung cancer, and of the nurse's interventions which the nurse independently carries out through their work with cancer patients who implement their treatment within a day hospital. In a multi-disciplinary team in charge of monitoring a lung cancer patient, the nurse's interventions are focused on taking care of the patient, educating the patient and their family, rehabilitation and, when it is required, palliative care. A nurse within an oncology team, apart from general knowledge and clinical abilities, imperatively possesses knowledge about cytostatics, their use and complications, as well as the most common side effects in order to achieve optimal results of the treatment. The practice of a nurse must be founded on knowledge, clinical abilities, responsibility, ethical principles, a positive attitude and motivation. A nurse must recognize the problems and needs of their patient, along with the specific symptoms that a malignant disease carries with it. Nurses implement education of patients and their family, offer psychological help throughout the entire process of treatment, and in that way they better the quality of life of the patient as well as their surroundings, most commonly consisting of family