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The Mirror Program: Preparing Women for the Postoperative Mastectomy Mirror-Viewing Experience
Wyona M Freysteinson1, Amy S Deutsch2, Karen Davin3
1Nelda C. Stark College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX.
Problem:
Preparing women for the experiences they will endure during the breast cancer trajectory improves psychological outcomes and quality of life. Women have found that it may be difficult to view themselves in a mirror after having a mastectomy. Supporting women who have had a mastectomy in mirror-viewing and body image is a relatively new yet important intervention in oncology nursing.
Methods:
The feasibility of a preoperative mirror program given by oncology nurse navigators to women who were scheduled for a mastectomy was examined in this randomized control study.
Findings:
Pre- and postoperative data on anxiety, body image, depression, emotional well-being, and mirror use were collected from intervention participants (n = 10) and control subjects (n = 9).
Conclusion:
This article illustrates the development of the mirror program and the results of the feasibility trial, and provides a discussion with implications for future research.