Ninety percent of patients with advanced cancer are reported to experience pain at some time during the course of their illness. This pain usually is improperly evaluated because it varies by patient and is difficult to control. Pain often cannot be conceptualized because of the individual nature...

Oncology nurses know that improving quality of life is essential for patients with cancer. Optimizing quality of life requires excellence in symptom management, such as relief from physical symptoms (e.g., pain), as well as addressing the psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients and their...

As valuable members of the oncology team, acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) are in the perfect position to deliver high-quality palliative care. They are instrumental in coordinating the palliative care needs of their patients. Through proper training, ACNPs are able to assess, plan, implement...

Standards released by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer program in 2012 call for all patients with cancer to have access to palliative care and for institutions to provide skilled and coordinated care as patients traverse through multiple healthcare settings. Many healthcare...