- Email: [email protected]
A Survivor's Guide for the Breast Cancer Journey
Reviews
APRIL 2009, VOL 89, NO 4
meetings and have some fun at work. Every segment of this book is brief and easy to read with minimal to no materials needed for most activities. The ideas can work for a wide variety of groups and can be implemented in a few minutes. Within my own organization, I recall the innovative ideas used by our human resources team during orientation. I plan to discuss this book with my human resources
staff members so that they, too, can add more fun activities to the good tools they are already using.
A Survivor’s Guide for the Breast Cancer Journey
scattered throughout the book. The eight sections of the book are as follows: • Understanding Your Diagnosis—includes all the complex terminology involved in the tests that lead to a complete diagnosis. • Exploring Your Treatment Options—discusses types of surgery to excise the tumor and surrounding tissues. Cancer medications, radiation plans, and reconstructive techniques are included. • Coping With Treatment—addresses shortterm effects, long-term effects, and healthy lifestyle choices. This section talks about the side effects patients may encounter and how to cope with them. • Reclaiming Your Life—encourages the cancer patient to expect a “new normal,” because having breast cancer is a life-changing experience. Congratulations are in order when the patient has made it through the treatment plan. • The Directory—includes easy-to-access space to contain, write down, and file personal and medical team information. • Calendar—is a daily-planner-style organizer with two large pages per month of writing space for 12 separate months. • Research—contains more dividers and blank pages for filing clinical information, handouts, and data. • Miscellaneous—includes space for keeping a record of the well wishes received and the thank you responses sent. The planner assures the cancer patient that there is no time-sensitive rule for showing appreciation. As I read this book, I learned what to say as a perioperative nurse caring for a cancer patient. Nurses should resist saying, “Everything is going to be OK,” or “Don’t worry.”
Kim Regenhard RiverStone Publishing 2007 $39.95 hardcover The author of this book watched both of her parents suffer with cancer, and then she became a breast cancer patient herself. She had learned from her parents’ experiences that understanding the disease and treatments requires organization. The focus of this organized journey is to do more than survive, but to channel energy for a triumphant recovery. Day-Timers, Inc, assisted the author in creating this book by compiling pockets for files and business cards and a two-page per month planner to help patients stay organized during their battle with the disease. She also created a section to help track the acts of kindness of friends and family members so that on the good days, the patient can write thank you notes or make telephone calls. Just touching the book feels good. The taupe-brown velvety cover is bound with a breast-cancer-ribbon-pink spine. The book also has a rubber band strap to hold it together as it expands with files and business cards. The book’s size makes it easy to carry to physician and treatment appointments. Eight easy-to-use tabs and dividers each include a picture and a quote from a breast cancer survivor. Questions for the breast cancer patient to consider and tips from survivors are
DIANA BECK RN, MSN, CNOR PERIOPERATIVE EDUCATION SPECIALIST ST MARY’S GOOD SAMARITAN, INC CENTRALIA, IL
AORN JOURNAL •
779
Reviews
APRIL 2009, VOL 89, NO 4
That may not always be the case, and the patient knows it. Instead, nurses should express that they care for the patient and assure him or her that they will be there throughout the surgical experience.
Words of Wisdom from Pivotal Nurse Leaders Beth P. Houser and Kathy N. Player Sigma Theta Tau International 2008, 125 pages $19.95 softcover This small collection of stories contains words of wisdom and advice from nursing leaders who are recognized for their contributions in universities, professional organizations, national institutions and departments, and national services. These leaders come from across the country, and some have done international work. The brief stories are written by leaders who share lessons and insights that they have learned and that have helped them along their career paths. The leaders give advice on certain traits that they have learned to use along the path to their positions. For example, one nurse writes of choosing excellence, advising readers to be enthusiastic and passionate about what they do because this attitude gets translated to other people who are looking for leadership. She adds the advice, never settle for mediocrity. One nurse leader advises readers to step out of their comfort zones so that they can grow. When this nurse was asked to interview for a national position that she knew nothing about, she stepped up to the challenge. She took the position, and one of the challenges she faced was when a client wanted his social security number changed because it had the number 666 in it. Her superiors were adamant that this could never be done, but the nurse went before a board and succeeded in having it changed. Had she stayed in her comfort zone, she never would have accepted this challenging job and
780 • AORN JOURNAL
GENESIS
SUE GODDARD-GERRALD RN, BSN, CNOR, CPAN STAFF NURSE, RN FIRST ASSISTANT MEDICAL CENTER, EAST RUSHOLME CAMPUS DAVENPORT, IA
done what was thought to be impossible. Another nurse wrote about losing as part of leadership. She tried to develop a National Center for Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health. President Reagan vetoed it twice. This nurse and her colleagues continued working to get the House and Senate to override the second veto, and eventually got it passed. She did not accept losing as the end of her work, but kept trying until she found a way to succeed. The book is filled with stories such as these, of nurses who faced challenges and became stronger for it, and of those who were open to change and learned new ways to succeed in their professions. New technologies are always developing to improve patient care, and nurses have the power to do the same. For example, one nurse leader used her dissertation to prove that parents “rooming in” with their sick children can improve pediatric care. The most important aspect of the book comes in the final chapters that discuss integrity. There are stories on respect, doing the right thing, and having tolerance for ideas different from ours. The nurse leaders state that we need to realize that we are not just nurses anymore— we need to realize our success through our visions and how we impact others. This book is the perfect size and light enough to carry in your pocket or to keep somewhere handy, where it can be pulled out for some good advice and inspiration. It is a good reference for those times when encouragement and reflection are needed. It would also make a great gift for a new graduate starting on a career in nursing or a new manager. SUSAN OVERMAN RN, BSN, CNOR STAFF NURSE OCHSNER HOSPITAL NEW ORLEANS, LA
APRIL 2009, VOL 89, NO 4
meetings and have some fun at work. Every segment of this book is brief and easy to read with minimal to no materials needed for most activities. The ideas can work for a wide variety of groups and can be implemented in a few minutes. Within my own organization, I recall the innovative ideas used by our human resources team during orientation. I plan to discuss this book with my human resources
staff members so that they, too, can add more fun activities to the good tools they are already using.
A Survivor’s Guide for the Breast Cancer Journey
scattered throughout the book. The eight sections of the book are as follows: • Understanding Your Diagnosis—includes all the complex terminology involved in the tests that lead to a complete diagnosis. • Exploring Your Treatment Options—discusses types of surgery to excise the tumor and surrounding tissues. Cancer medications, radiation plans, and reconstructive techniques are included. • Coping With Treatment—addresses shortterm effects, long-term effects, and healthy lifestyle choices. This section talks about the side effects patients may encounter and how to cope with them. • Reclaiming Your Life—encourages the cancer patient to expect a “new normal,” because having breast cancer is a life-changing experience. Congratulations are in order when the patient has made it through the treatment plan. • The Directory—includes easy-to-access space to contain, write down, and file personal and medical team information. • Calendar—is a daily-planner-style organizer with two large pages per month of writing space for 12 separate months. • Research—contains more dividers and blank pages for filing clinical information, handouts, and data. • Miscellaneous—includes space for keeping a record of the well wishes received and the thank you responses sent. The planner assures the cancer patient that there is no time-sensitive rule for showing appreciation. As I read this book, I learned what to say as a perioperative nurse caring for a cancer patient. Nurses should resist saying, “Everything is going to be OK,” or “Don’t worry.”
Kim Regenhard RiverStone Publishing 2007 $39.95 hardcover The author of this book watched both of her parents suffer with cancer, and then she became a breast cancer patient herself. She had learned from her parents’ experiences that understanding the disease and treatments requires organization. The focus of this organized journey is to do more than survive, but to channel energy for a triumphant recovery. Day-Timers, Inc, assisted the author in creating this book by compiling pockets for files and business cards and a two-page per month planner to help patients stay organized during their battle with the disease. She also created a section to help track the acts of kindness of friends and family members so that on the good days, the patient can write thank you notes or make telephone calls. Just touching the book feels good. The taupe-brown velvety cover is bound with a breast-cancer-ribbon-pink spine. The book also has a rubber band strap to hold it together as it expands with files and business cards. The book’s size makes it easy to carry to physician and treatment appointments. Eight easy-to-use tabs and dividers each include a picture and a quote from a breast cancer survivor. Questions for the breast cancer patient to consider and tips from survivors are
DIANA BECK RN, MSN, CNOR PERIOPERATIVE EDUCATION SPECIALIST ST MARY’S GOOD SAMARITAN, INC CENTRALIA, IL
AORN JOURNAL •
779
Reviews
APRIL 2009, VOL 89, NO 4
That may not always be the case, and the patient knows it. Instead, nurses should express that they care for the patient and assure him or her that they will be there throughout the surgical experience.
Words of Wisdom from Pivotal Nurse Leaders Beth P. Houser and Kathy N. Player Sigma Theta Tau International 2008, 125 pages $19.95 softcover This small collection of stories contains words of wisdom and advice from nursing leaders who are recognized for their contributions in universities, professional organizations, national institutions and departments, and national services. These leaders come from across the country, and some have done international work. The brief stories are written by leaders who share lessons and insights that they have learned and that have helped them along their career paths. The leaders give advice on certain traits that they have learned to use along the path to their positions. For example, one nurse writes of choosing excellence, advising readers to be enthusiastic and passionate about what they do because this attitude gets translated to other people who are looking for leadership. She adds the advice, never settle for mediocrity. One nurse leader advises readers to step out of their comfort zones so that they can grow. When this nurse was asked to interview for a national position that she knew nothing about, she stepped up to the challenge. She took the position, and one of the challenges she faced was when a client wanted his social security number changed because it had the number 666 in it. Her superiors were adamant that this could never be done, but the nurse went before a board and succeeded in having it changed. Had she stayed in her comfort zone, she never would have accepted this challenging job and
780 • AORN JOURNAL
GENESIS
SUE GODDARD-GERRALD RN, BSN, CNOR, CPAN STAFF NURSE, RN FIRST ASSISTANT MEDICAL CENTER, EAST RUSHOLME CAMPUS DAVENPORT, IA
done what was thought to be impossible. Another nurse wrote about losing as part of leadership. She tried to develop a National Center for Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health. President Reagan vetoed it twice. This nurse and her colleagues continued working to get the House and Senate to override the second veto, and eventually got it passed. She did not accept losing as the end of her work, but kept trying until she found a way to succeed. The book is filled with stories such as these, of nurses who faced challenges and became stronger for it, and of those who were open to change and learned new ways to succeed in their professions. New technologies are always developing to improve patient care, and nurses have the power to do the same. For example, one nurse leader used her dissertation to prove that parents “rooming in” with their sick children can improve pediatric care. The most important aspect of the book comes in the final chapters that discuss integrity. There are stories on respect, doing the right thing, and having tolerance for ideas different from ours. The nurse leaders state that we need to realize that we are not just nurses anymore— we need to realize our success through our visions and how we impact others. This book is the perfect size and light enough to carry in your pocket or to keep somewhere handy, where it can be pulled out for some good advice and inspiration. It is a good reference for those times when encouragement and reflection are needed. It would also make a great gift for a new graduate starting on a career in nursing or a new manager. SUSAN OVERMAN RN, BSN, CNOR STAFF NURSE OCHSNER HOSPITAL NEW ORLEANS, LA