Policy and procedure Development - Essay Example

Fatigue Relief for Chemotherapy Cancer Patients Through Massage al Affiliation Policy & Procedure Cancer policies and procedures are standard that govern the treatment of cancer. The policies help practitioners make decisions, follow a course of action and attain a predetermined goal (Berger, 2003). The procedures for managing cancer fatigue include psychological patient’s preparation and awareness creation. The procedures follow the stipulated laws and regulations by the medicine board to provide quality evidence-based and safe practices.

All practices have to undergo a piloting program to determine their effectives and any possible risk. One such policy is the massage policy to control fatigue for cancer patients. The following policy and procedure provides a guide for the management of fatigue for cancer patients.Intent for ChangeRelaxing body massage is a proven non-pharmacological fatigue management therapy for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Cancer patients develop fatigue due to the inadequate number of red blood cells to circulate oxygen to body muscles.

Accumulation of carbon dioxide in the body cells result in chronic body fatigue for cancer patients (Ahlberg, 2003). The drugs administration lack the complete relaxation effect for most cancer patients. Current studies have downplayed the use of drugs to control chemotherapy fatigue. More ever, traditional relaxation methods such as resting and escaping are time-consuming. Massage is cost-effective and time-saving. While other relief methods such as drugs may have cost implications, massage is cheap and has long-standing effects.

Studies conducted at the University of Miami suggests that massage helps reduce fatigue. Smooth, soft caresses over the affected area trigger the mind to produce Dopamine, a chemical that induces a feeling of well-being. The research also indicated that massage causes an increase in the white blood cells that boost immunity. The cancer foundation called them the natural killer cells and appeared on the first and last days of the massage. Massages offer a significant fatigue reduction to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy as compared to drugs.

Specialized massage combined with other non-pharmacological practices such as physical exercise have proved effective in the control of body fatigue. Long usage of drugs to stimulate the body overworks the body cells and is detrimental more so to patients at the chronic cancer stages.Assessment NeedSpecialized cancer nurses and trained masseuse help determine the patient’s knowledge on non-pharmacological fatigue management. The cancer patient’s rights and family diversity will be taken into consideration so as to maintain the patients privacy.

The nurses determine the type of cancer and any special detail about before the start of the massage. Patients who have undergone surgical operations have a different approach to massage as opposed to those undergoing pure chemotherapy (Cassileth, 2004). Patients with disabilities or anxieties issues will receive special handling. The patient’s culture and attitude towards massage will be key to avoid discomfort during the massage.Draft policyPhysician and the medical practitioner will form a research team that will come up with the proposed procedure and policy.

The research team will look into the whole process to assure the safety and the effectiveness. The research team will incorporate all parties to assure the safety of the patient. A legal consultation will help align the policy and procedure with state and federal medical laws (Corbin, 2005).EducationThe physician will have a basic background of fatigue management of cancer patients. The practitioners will receive education on management of chemotherapy fatigue. The techniques include deep tissue massage, soft caresses, sports massage, and reflexology.

The physician will learn stroking, kneading and pressing the body tissue so as to relax the patient mentally and physicallyReferenceAhlberg, K., Ekman, T., Gaston-Johansson, F., & Mock, V. (2003). Assessment and management of cancer-related fatigue in adults. The Lancet, 362(9384), 640-650.Cassileth, B. R., & Vickers, A. J. (2004). Massage therapy for symptom control: outcome study at a major cancer center. Journal of pain and symptom management, 28(3), 244-249.Berger, A. (2003). Treating fatigue in cancer patients.

 The Oncologist, 8(Supplement 1), 10-14.Corbin, L. (2005). Safety and efficacy of massage therapy for patients with cancer. Cancer control, 12(3), 158.