Caring for the Cancer Patient and Family What does it mean to provide a multidimensional approach? What are some examples of how the care team can meet the patients’ and the families’ needs? Who are the members of the care team, and how are they involved in providing multidimensional care?

Caring for the Cancer Patient and Family

The Meaning of Providing a Multidimensional Approach

A multidimensional approach to nursing care means providing a care plan developed from multiple professional perspectives that helps meet the patients’ and families’ psychological, social, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. In cancer care, a multidimensional team approach involves combining various specialized healthcare professionals with the main goal of improving the efficiency of treating and caring for the cancer patient (Taberna et al., 2020). Besides the use of interdisciplinary teams and other standards of professional patient care to support care for cancer patients, a multidimensional approach also includes the integration of various elements of evidence-based practice (EBP) to ensure the patient the highest quality of care that touches on all aspects of their well-being.

Examples of How a Care Team Can Meet Patient and Family Needs

Cancer is related to the development of financial and other hardships, such as mental and physical health, that have a negative impact on the patient and their family (Robin Yabroff et al., 2020). There are various strategies that the care team can utilize to meet patient and family needs. For instance, the care team can educate the patient and family on coping with cancer as well as available and affordable therapies to support informed decisions. The care team can also assist with transportation and ensure that the patient and family have insurance and other forms of financial support (Robin Yabroff et al., 2020). Additionally, the care team can continuously screen the patient and family for their physical and mental well-being related to the cancer diagnosis and provide the right intervention for both physical and mental health strains