considerations for nurses

Nurses can play a critical role in patient management

Because nurses spend a lot of time with patients throughout the course of their treatment, they may be in an ideal position to catch signs and symptoms of anemia before the disease progresses to a critical state. That’s why nurse input is so valuable to the management of this condition.

Considerations for anemia awareness and patient care

Questions for patients1,3

• Are you lightheaded?

• Are you short of breath with physical activity (eg, walking up a flight of stairs)?

• Have you had headaches?

• Have you been dizzy?

• Have you had chest pain?

• Are you able to do your usual daily activities?

• Have you had blood in your stool, or black stools?

We have created a convenient tool you can use to track the signs and symptoms of anemia in your patients. Simply download and print the Patient Symptom Tracker form.

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References: 1. Hurter B, Bush NJ. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2007;11:349-359. 2. Camp-Sorrell D. In: Yarbro CH, Wujcik D, Gobel BH, eds. Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practice. 7th ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett; 2010:458-503.3. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™: Cancer- and Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia v2.2012. Available at: http://www.nccn.org. Accessed September 19, 2011.