Role of the nurse in the mental health of patients under breast cancer treatment

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to highlight the importance of nurses as assistants in the mental health care of patients
undergoing breast cancer treatment. Methodology: An integrative literature review was carried out from 2022 to 2023,
using the PubMed, Medline, and Scielo databases. Results: Breast cancer is seen as a neoplasm that most affects women
in the world; therefore, it is a disease surrounded by stigma and suffering that significantly affect the mental health of the
patient who is diagnosed and it is extremely important to qualify the professional who will provide the necessary care
according to the needs of each case. The role of the nurse is necessary both in prevention and, crucially, after diagnosis,
in rehabilitation, providing holistic assistance, taking into account the importance of the work of the multidisciplinary
team, assisting in the care plan and decision-making regarding the needs of each patient, and promoting good maintenance of physical and mental comfort. It is up to the nurse to provide humanized and effective assistance that reduces
the suffering caused by this illness. In view of this, we can mention the qualification regarding the humanized and cautious approach to the treatment, which, as it is an aggressive disease, becomes long, exhausting, and causes a lot of suffering. Conclusion: Therefore, to identify the importance of professional nurses in relation to the mental health of patients
fighting breast cancer, it was noted such importance in relation to humanized and personalized care, with vast knowledge
being evident and necessary to adequate planning that will be effective both in prevention and after diagnosis in support
for these patients who will continue to be assisted both with drug therapies and in a biopsychosocial way, having a long
quality of life in the professional, personal, and social spheres.