Need priorities of adrenalectomy patients as perceived by patients, nurses, and physicians

Patients in this study identified needs they considered important. Perceived need priorities of adrenalectomy patients need to be identified and met both pre- and postoperatively by health team members. Patient-centered nursing and medical conferences should be arranged to provide comprehensive patient care. Establishment of guidelines, based on need priorities perceived by the patient, will provide a master care plan which can assist nurses and physicians in meeting patient needs. These guidelines are important since patients need not only an immediate care plan, but also a long-term plan of care designed to meet individual needs and ever-changing problems of the long-term illness. The study findings show that patients, nurses, and physicians differ in their perception of need priorities of adrenalectomy patients. Nurses and physicians must take heed of patient concerns. Nurses, especially, must realize the needs of the patient in order to provide support, counseling, and education. The necessity for total awareness of patients' needs and perceptions is illustrated by one cancer patient's comments: "Although the disease was diagnosed early and responded successfully to treatment, there was a numbness and fear, the cold chills that accompanied the awareness of the diagnosis and later the altered perception of life, of friends and associates that grew out of the realization that death was never far away. "A human organism with a malignant neoplasm is more than a body with a disease. It is also a reacting individual who has feelings about his illness, and these feelings influence the way he perceives his medical personnel and utilizes his advice and care." It is important that all members of the health team acquire a better understanding of the various need theories and the importance of perceiving the needs of patients as the patient perceives them. In addition, it is essential for health team members to continually refer to the relevant literature concerning needs to improve the quality of total patient-family care.