Personalization in Cancer Care: Implementation of an Interactive White Board to Improve Nurse–Patient Communication

During the vulnerable time of being hospitalized for cancer treatment, patients may long to be seen as an individual who exists apart from the disease process. The implementation of All About Me interactive white boards provides a mechanism to allow the patient’s most unique needs to be met and to promote a more meaningful connection between the nurse and patient. This study provides information on the benefit of acknowledging patients’ personalized characteristics, as well as the impact of promoting the connection between the nurse and patient through the boards.

AT A GLANCE

• When patients are admitted to the hospital, they hope to be seen as more than their diagnosis.
• It is not unusual for patients who are admitted to the hospital to feel that their most important personalized needs and values are overlooked. 
• The addition of the All About Me interactive white boards in the oncology setting allows the overall aim and focus to be shifted back to the patient to provide comprehensive patient-centered care and enhance nurse–patient relationships.