Experiences of women diagnosed with breast or gynecological cancer who have undergone radical procedures for treatment
Amber Kalbfleisch (Author), Karen Brown-Fackler (Thesis advisor), Nancy Dole (Thesis advisor)
"The purpose of this study was to identify experiences faced by women with a diagnosis of breast or gynecological cancer who had undergone radical procedures for treatment in relation to overall self-image and their body image, quality of life, social relationships, and sexual functioning. The study had a qualitative descriptive design. Participants were recruited using fliers posted at healthcare facilities within the mid-Michigan area and then voluntarily contacted the primary researcher by phone or email. Interviews were completed by phone conversation or the survey was sent by email which was emailed back to the researcher by the participant. Findings identified that women experience physical, mental, and emotional distress in the aspects o f self-image, body-image, quality of life, sexual functioning, and social relationships throughout all phases of care. This illustrates a need for healthcare providers to provide care for these patients in more than the treatment and recovery phases. Advanced practice providers should treat each patient as a whole, physically, mentally, and emotionally throughout all phases of care, therefore promoting an improvement in overall outcomes for patients and their families."--Page iv
Thesis, Dissertation, English, 2018
Saginaw Valley State University