Experiencing a Health Challenge

Experiencing a Health Challenge: The Effects on Clients

Derek Howell 821643434
Practical Nursing Theory 3 NURS 360
Anne Senczuk
18 November 2014

Experiencing a Health Challenge

Experiencing a health challenge is something many of us will inevitably have to deal with at
some point in our lives, whether it is our self, a family member or close friend. Throughout our
lifetime we will have to deal with an experience due to sickness and the repercussions of how it
affects and changes our lives. The movie being used for this assignment is 50/50; it is about a 27
year old man (Adam) who is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Adam is advised that his
tumor is malignant and he finds out his chances of survival are 50/50. The movie focuses on
Adams struggle with the reality of his situation, his coping strategies and how the people in
Adams life deal with their own emotions related to his diagnosis. This paper will outline the
physical and psychosocial effects that Adam encountered and how he and the people involved in
his life were able to, or attempt to cope with the changes in Adams health. To explore and
understand how sickness is dealt with, this paper will also include how our health system deals
with the person and their sickness, specifically holistic nursing care related to mental health
support; dealing with assessing, teaching, emotional distress and involving community services.
Nursing specific interventions will also be included and how they help the client throughout the
different stages of care. Inter-professional collaborative care will also be outlined as many
different resources can be utilized by a patient to receive care and support, such as: social support
groups, psychiatrist or psychologists, and community resources to aid with financial and personal
support. Experiencing a health challenge is something we can all relate to and this paper will
examine how a person, the people surrounding them and the health care system reacts to combat
a persons health care challenge. The health care systems different elements will be reviewed as
they attempt to restore and maintain health and regain normalcy to a life that has been stripped of
hope, meaning and the uncertainty of longevity.

Experiencing a Health Challenge

Physical effects of a health challenge can have a major impact on a persons body image;
changes in their outward appearance due to hair and weight loss or body functions such as
emesis post chemotherapy or sexual dysfunction lead to stress and depression. Vitality,
youthfulness and health are something we all strive for and in Adams case masculinity as well.
Body image is important to all of us no matter our age shape or size and one of the first things
Adam does after he begins his treatment is shave his head. Realizing that his body will be going
through changes caused by cancer, he attempts to lessen the effects cancer will have on his body
image by changing it before the cancer can. As stated in Potter and Perry When cancer changes
a persons body image or alters sexual function, the survivor frequently experiences significant
anxiety and depression with regard to interpersonal relationships (Perry, 2010) This stage
becomes quite apparent, when Adam is walking his dog with his friend Kyle, they encounter a
girl walking her dog, even though she is very friendly and outgoing Adam withdrawals from the
encounter hugs his dog and makes an excuse to keep walking, he then admits to his friend that he
believes no one would want to meet up with him as he looks like Voldemort (a hideous villain
creature from the Harry Potter series.) As Adam progresses through his treatment his willingness
to attempt to lead a normal life by going clubbing with his friend is an attempt to thwart off the
physical effects of treatment and disease. Although his attempt at normalcy is admiral it ends up
in disaster as his physical strength and endurance are compromised, he becomes extremely tired
as the night continues Adam quickly realizes the drawbacks of his chemotherapy treatment
during an episode of sexual dysfunction. Pain and exhaustion from cancer treatment may cause a
lack of energy and desire for sex altogether, as well as the fear of a changed body composition
from weight and hair loss causing sexual experience to be a stressful event affecting a persons
ability to participate in intimacy. (Canadian Cancer Society, 2014)

Experiencing a Health Challenge

Psychosocial effects directly affect a persons mental health, and being challenged by a disease
such as cancer will test the strength of a persons mental health. One of the major components of
nursing studies is how to treat people who are sick, regardless of what ailment they have,
requiring a commitment from health care professionals to clients and their experiences. The
treatment Adam received when his doctor, as he was initially advising him about his cancer was
nothing short of deplorable. At no point was the doctor interested in Adam as he reads aloud into
his recording device. The doctors dissertation to himself about his fascinating new discovery is
the only thing of paramount importance. Adams knowledge of his cancer is only moments old
and the psychosocial effects are already taking their toll as Adams doctor lacks any empathy at
all. Health care providers have a responsibility to ensure the psychosocial health of their patients
remain intact. Primary nursing values setup as a guideline for nursing such as preserving dignity,
providing compassionate and ethical care are values set out by the Canadian nurses association.
How patients are treated especially by healthcare workers will greatly affect their psychosocial
state and directly affect their ability to cope with their disease. More engaged and connect with
his client, but instead chose to connect with the cancer creating a negative social condition within
Adams personality. Adam has now become a fascinating neurofibrosarcoma schwannoma to his
doctor and not much else. Adams experience has quickly become that people will cease to notice
him as a person but rather as anomalous cancer, as this is reinforced by comments at a party
thrown in his honour, as coworkers state we will miss you. Kyle (Adams best friend) attempts
to downplay the negative psychosocial effects of cancer by basically discarding the fact Adam is
sick, and encouraging him to embrace his disease and use it to his advantage (to pick up women
using guilt). Adams physical health begins to weaken and he begins to feel lethargic, his friend
is there to pester him to keep going and maintain a regular routine. One of the hardest things for

Experiencing a Health Challenge

most people is to remain positive and accept help from others for ADLs. Once vibrant and
mobile people can become more dependant for daily routine care as a disease progresses, this for
most of us is an unwelcomed reminder of our mortality. Adam experiences a similar
phenomenon with his cancer as he begins to realize his own mortality, as he is faced with the
death of one of his chemotherapy buddies. This moment crushes Adams positivity and moves
him into an area of acceptance towards his disease and a final outcome of death, as he states to
his therapist hes ok with the result of dying. The psychosocial effects of having cancer and
feeling like an outcast have dissolved Adams will at this point, causing him to believe his only
release is death.
Mental health support is an integral part of cancer therapy related to holistic nursing care
and nursing specific interventions to assess, teach and counsel a family or person to better deal
with their disease. Accessing community services to combat emotional distress and to aid with
health teaching, working with challenges related to ADLs ensuring the best quality of life.
Adams therapist plays an important part in his mental health, when Adam has lost all hope and
is fixated on his surgery and death he reaches out to his mental health team for support she helps
him regain composure to focus on living rather than dying. According to the Canadian mental
health association 1 in 4 cancer patients experience clinical depression, (Perry, 2010) and by
seeking and receiving help patients can better manage their cancer and its treatment improving
their quality of life.
Social support groups can play an integral part of dealing with a sickness as empathy can be
attempted by friends and family, the only one who truly relates to a person with cancer would be
someone who has had or dealt intimately with the disease. Support groups let people know they
are not alone, giving individuals a common ground to be accepted without judgment, and provide

Experiencing a Health Challenge

a family with hope information and understanding. Adams chemotherapy friends Allan and
Mitch create a social support group for themselves as they all battle similar diseases and
encounter similar problems Adam realizes that he is not alone and allows for a sense of
belonging as they all fight the same battle together. Community resources can also play an
important role in helping people to access care that may not be able to otherwise access, the
Canadian cancer society provides transportation to and from GTA hospitals to individuals that
may be too sick to drive, cannot afford transportation or are uncomfortable facing treatment
alone. (Canadian Cancer Society, 2014) This service is free of charge to cancer patients so that
they can attend their treatment sessions. Adam could have used a service such as this as he was
relegated to using public transit or calling around to see if anyone had spare time for him, a
community program could have helped Adam and assisted in maintaining dignity and quality of
life.
Experiencing a health challenge will affect most people at some point or another throughout
their lifetime. This challenge creates an opportunity for the nursing community to begin a
relationship with the individual that cares for the entire person. Nursing care is about promoting
health, respect, preserving dignity and justice (Nursing Ethics, 2014). During a patients care it is
imperative that holistic care is made a priority so the entire individuals health improves over
time. Physical and psychosocial effects of the effective disease cannot be ignored, as an
individual who is depressed will not heal as efficiently as a client who remains positive
throughout the healing process. Overall the healing process is a truly collaborative endeavour
that includes many disciplines which must interact to help patients achieve the best possible
health outcome. From the clients self-image interacting with nursing specific care to utilizing
holistic care strategies, mental health support and social support groups coupled with utilizing

Experiencing a Health Challenge

community resources. All of the facets must interact to ensure the best possible health outcome
for patients of the health care system.

Bibliography
Canadian Cancer Society. (2014). Retrieved from Canadian Cancer Society:
www.cancer.ca
CNO. (2009, June). Retrieved from CNO Professional Standards, revised 2002:
www.CNO.org/Global/docs/prac/41006.ProfStds.pdf
Nursing Ethics. (2014). Retrieved from Canadian Nurses Association: www.cnaaiic.ca
Perry, P. A. (2010). Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing Fourth Edition. Toronto:
Elsevier Canada.