The study tested the application of the Betty Neuman’s Systems Model (Model) which dealt with assessment and also the study was used to determine what followed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients diagnosed with breast cancer receiving doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. Depending on the client’s ability to handle the environmental stressors, the client can have either a positive or a negative outcome. Several patients with breast cancer receive chemo- therapy after surgery to substantially decrease the threat of relapse, and generally are accompanied by prescriptions of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide.
According to the article, chemotherapyinduced nausea and vomiting continues to be substantial and disturbing side effects and despite advances in antiemetic therapy, up to 40% of patients getting chemotherapy have chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The Betty Neuman’s Systems Model supports how a client experiencing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is viewed holistically, with the client’s life experiences adding uniqueness to her. The initial impact of the breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment with chemotherapy on the client can vary, often according to the client’s perceived outcome.
Because the client’s outlook on life and adjustment to life circumstances are based on the interrelationships between the five variables composing the client’s system (physiological, psychological, sociocultural, developmental, and spiritual variables) thorough assessment of these variables is warranted. Each variable can change the power of the stressor and the degree to which the stressor has an adverse outcome on the client. If the five variables cannot modify the strength of the stressor, then the stressor will penetrate the flexible and normal lines of defense, nd the client will experience instability in the system.
This can contribute to a lowered quality of life. Applying the Model’s three types of preventions as intervention namely primary prevention (which happens before there are any symptoms); secondary prevention (when the symptom appears); and Tertiary intervention( emphasizes on wellness after treatment of symptoms). If the client developed effective coping strategies through this previous experience, then the client is able to manage the symptoms that occur during the chemotherapy treatment and she will experience health.
Conversely, if the client cannot cope with the side effects, she will experience illness environment While receiving chemotherapy, women with breast cancer are vulnerable to three environmental factors (intrapersonal, interpersonal, and extrapersonal). These stressors can impinge on the flexible line of defense, penetrate the normal line of defense, or penetrate the basic structure. The client maintains varying degrees of wellness as she interacts with and adjusts to the environmental stressors.
It is essential that nurses have an accurate understanding of the client’s environmental stressors because they are a large part of the context in which the client with breast cancer copes with symptoms. It is vital that the nursing goals designed to reduce the impact of the CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING should be mutually derived in collaboration with the client. Measurable outcome criteria and a plan for nursing intervention should be developed and implemented.
Primary prevention should focus on identifying clients at risk for developing CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING and providing them with a personalized education programs with instructions on how to prevent the development of CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING and when to alert the oncologist if symptoms are uncontrolled. Secondary prevention can take place during treatment, when the symptoms can be identified and treated with additional medications or prevention education materials. Tertiary prevention is achieved by building on the client’s strengths and conserving energy.
Tertiary prevention should aim to reeducate the client about the importance of CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING prevention. Therefore we can strongly say that the Model has strong use for application to modern day nursing practice and can be applied to clients with breast cancer experiencing CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING to attain the desired nursing outcomes. Its holistic nature readily lends itself to explaining both the diverse chemotherapy side effects faced by the client, such as CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING, and nursing’s role in assisting patients toward health.
This ultimately the Model helps identify specific predictors of CHEMOTHERAPYINDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING that need to be included in the assessment, intervention, and evaluation. For example, determining which of the five variables contribute to the development of severe CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING for the client will allow nurses to determine which client is more likely to experience severe nausea and vomiting, provide anticipatory guidance for clients, and individualize treatment with anti-nausea medications.
Another case in point is a descriptive study done using The Betty Neuman’s Systems Model whose purpose was to pilot a questionnaire with sub-scales in a population of 40 family members listed as power of attorney (POA) for residents and 40 employees of a long term care facility in rural southeastern Kansas. There were 49 non-random participants which resulted in a 61. 25% participation rate. It is estimated that only one in five cases of elders abuse were reported. According to researchers there are many cases that go undetected and therefore these research findings substantiated a need to identify individual perceptions of elder abuse.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the literature and develop a questionnaire with scales to determine how targeted participants perceived elder abuse. The population included the power of attorneys for the 40 residents and 40 employees of a long-term care facility. The 25 items on the Elder Abuse Questionnaire were resulting from the variables that Betty Neuman categorizes as a holistic system in order to measure the view of elder abuse within the defined population.
The results of the survey indicate that the Elder Abuse Questionnaire had a strong to moderate dependability as a device established on a one-factor solution and the facts indication that each scale is directly connected. The questions within each scale correlate as a comprehensive view of elder abuse further supporting the Betty Neuman’s Systems Model. Pont to be noted is that, since the population of this study was narrowly focused, it is recommended that Elder Abuse Questionnaire be repeated in numerous populations for reliability comparison.
Further studies using the Betty Neuman’s Systems Model are vital to further demonstrate the suitability of this model for the assessment of chemotherapy-induced side effects in women with breast cancer. These studies should focus on the response of the client system to actual or potential environmental stressors, and the use of primary, secondary, and tertiary nursing prevention as interventions for the retention, attainment, and maintenance of optimal client system stability.
