A review of several studies related to breast cancer patients yields very little information on whether cancer care specialist RNs have a significant effect on patient care and comfort. The report comes from this article at Medical News Today.

The lead researcher from the School of Acute and Continuing Care Nursing at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland, Susanne Cruickshank stated that this does not mean that these specialist nurses don’t have an impact on patient care and outcomes. Rather it is indicative that in an interdisciplinary health care team approach, the impact of any one care giver becomes harder to assess and many of the reviewed quantitative studies do not directly assess the impact of the nurse specialist on the patient’s care.

According to Cruikshank, cancer care specialist nurses are widely used to provide coordination of the care team and informational resources to the patient. The studies covered in the review show mixed results with some show improvements in one area of patient quality of life but no improvements in others. Particular areas focused on include: depression, anxiety, pain management, social and psychological adjustment, overall mood, and coping skills.

What this article points out is that there is at least a moderate positive effect on patient care and that more study is needed to refine best practices and approaches on which these specialist nurses should focus their care plans.