What is psychosocial care and how can nurses better provide it to adult oncology patients

Abstract

Objective: This paper explores psychosocial care; the potential barriers, how nurses provide it, utilise assessment tools and the impact, issues and benefits of providing effective psychosocial care.

Primary argument: Nurses are in a unique position to monitor patients and their psychosocial care. However there remains a barrier to exploring some of these facets of care. Nurses need to be more inclusive of patient’s sexuality, spirituality, optimism and hope when assessing psychosocial care and quality of life as these subjects can be the least explored by staff with their patients.

Conclusion: As hospital nurses we see the patient and their family throughout their cancer journey and are in a unique position to monitor a patient’s psychosocial coping and any distress. Providing psychosocial care to patients is essential but can be an over looked part of nursing care. In university we are taught how to be nurses but how to communicate with patients and other health care professionals is part of on the job training. Psychosocial care is part of a holistic patient perspective and allows patients to seek both informational and emotional support from care givers to help them manage their cancer journey.