Date on Paper

7-2024

Document Type

Doctoral Paper

Degree Name

D.N.P.

Department

Nursing

Committee Chair

Hayden, Dedra

Committee Member

Adelstein, Katherine

Author's Keywords

cancer; caregivers; burden; Zarit Caregiver Burden Assessment

Abstract

The incidence of cancer is on the rise, the number of cancer diagnoses are increasing at an alarming rate with advanced technologies and available evidence. Cancer care has also shifted from the inpatient setting to mostly outpatient. With this, a large portion of the responsibility has been transferred to the caregiver of that patient (Kent et al., 2019). Historically, caregivers have not been at the forefront of research, however, the concept of caregiver burden is beginning to emerge. A gap exists in addressing the needs of caregivers in both evidence-based data and with the local community cancer support group, Gilda’s Club. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to enrich the cancer caregiver experience by collaborating with Gilda’s Club to implement a six-week intervention, focused on the cancer caregiver, and therefore decreasing their perceived burden. The program consisted of weekly modules addressing common concerns and educational gaps in cancer care, particularly those pertaining to the cancer caregiver. The evaluation method utilized was the Zarit Caregiver Burden Assessment (12-item) and percent change using Microsoft Excel. The overall aim of this DNP project was to decrease caregiver burden.

Download

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS