Nursing care for a lung cancer patient

Abstract

Introduction. Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with a very heterogeneous biology and poor prognosis. It is derived from the epithelial cells of the bronchial tree and alveoli.

The aim. This work is aimed to analyze the tasks of a nurse in the care of a lung cancer patient based on a case-by-case study.

Case study. Patient aged 66, was admitted to the lung diseases ward as a matter of urgency in order to deepen the diagnosis of nodular lesions of the left lung on an outpatient chest X-ray. It is the second day of the patient's stay in the ward. He is a heavy smoker. Additional diseases are gastroesophageal reflux, prostatic hyperplasia and arterial hypertension.

Conclusions. The dominant nursing problems of a patient with lung cancer are: dyspnea at rest, exhausting cough with coughing up bloody discharge, chest pain, increased sweating, constipation. The nurse's task in caring for a patient with lung cancer is to participate in minimizing any ailments resulting from the disease, assisting in satisfying the patient's needs, providing psychological support to the patient and his family in the course of an unfavorable disease.