healthcare providers and emotional management

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I appreciate your insight on the relationship between stress and health. As well, the physical and emotional effects stress has on the individual dealing with illness or disease. It is easy as a healthcare provider get focused on physical interventions and forget we are treating a whole person; which includes their psychosocial needs. Alterations in health can lead to pain, stress, anxiety and depression which can effect us physically, emotionally, and mentally.

I found a really interesting article, written June 2012, by Sheldon, L. , Harris, D., and Arcieri, C. addressing the psychosocial concerns in cancer care and the role of the oncology nurse. It discusses standards of care for assessing oncology patient psychosocial needs and the responsibilities oncology nurses have to their patients. Many psychosocial assessment tools are reviewed and evaluated for effectiveness. Communication with cancer patients regarding their psychosocial concerns has gained attention from national organizations (Sheldon, Harris, Arcieri 201). Distress management is discussed as an important focus of care. In conclusion the article reports oncology nurses need to be visible and articulate as advocates for timely and effective assessment of psychosocial concerns in cancer care (Sheldon, Harris, Arcieri 2012). This article really puts the focus on the necessity of including psychosocial needs and interventions as part of the plan of care for cancer patients.

Another article I found discusses improving patient care in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It addresses feelings of isolation, depression, and anxiety are common among individuals with PAH (Tsangaris, 2014). The healthcare provider is made aware of their responsibility to consider challenges faced by their patients and encouraged to use a holistic treatment approach. They concluded a holistic treatment approach should be adopted, so that, in addition to appropriate medication for improving symptoms and quality of life, consulation with mental health professionals for emotional support is included to help address underlying psychosocial factors (Tsangaris, 2014). I really found this article to be very supportive of the benefits holistic and psychosocial interventions provide the patient.