Needs of patients living with advanced disease

When a person has a life-threatening illness, many changes occur. These changes are more than just physical changes and include psychosocial, practical and spiritual consequences. If disease progresses, the impact of these changes intensifies. Nurses who are caring for patients with advancing disease must be able to provide appropriate interventions if they are to help individuals cope. This paper highlights information regarding the needs of patients with advanced disease and emphasizes approaches that could be taken by cancer nurses in their care of these patients. The material is drawn from over a decade of interviewing patients about their experiences with cancer, the literature about patient needs, and discussions with care providers. The over-arching perspective is one of seeing human beings as bio-psychosocial-spiritual entities. Holding this perspective has implications for assessment and interventions in caring for patients with advanced disease.