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From a legal perspective, before a physician engages in a serious medical intervention they must obtain informed consent. In this paper, we argue that there are serious deficits in our processes of obtaining informed consent; it is often seen as just a bureaucratic hurdle, and people agree to interventions without being in an appropriate epistemic state. We explore some possible reasons for this, including ignorance, trust in physicians' authority, and the minimal time physicians spend with patients. We trace many of these issues to one central cause, which is that in the United States obtaining informed consent is the purview of physicians. We argue that a simple shift in how we obtain informed consent can help to ameliorate these issues. Specifically, we argue that obtaining informed consent should be the responsibility of nurses rather than physicians. While there are several reasons for this, the central ideas are that (1) since nurses are the ones who know the patient, they will be in better position to tell when patients are genuinely informed, and (2) patients will be more comfortable asking questions and admitting ignorance to nurses rather than physicians. While we focus on US law, our conclusions are more broadly applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of mobility device use in U.S. community‐dwelling older adults including older adults with cancer history ("survivors") and to estimate mobility disability noting variation by cancer history, cancer site, and other factors to improve early detection of mobility limitations. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional analysis from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study. SETTING: In‐person interviews in the homes of study participants. PARTICIPANTS: Nationally representative sample of community‐dwelling Medicare beneficiaries, aged 65 and older (n = 6,080 including 1,203 survivors). MEASUREMENTS: Participants were asked about cancer history, pain that limited activity, mobility device use (eg, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters), history of falls, and medical conditions plus they were assessed for approximate mobility disability using a 3‐m gait speed test. The results were scored on a scale of 0 to 4 (0 = lowest, 4 = highest) using criteria from the National Institute on Aging. RESULTS: A total of 19% of older adults and 23% of survivors reported using one or more mobility device, most commonly a single‐point cane. Approximately 10% of breast, 6% of prostate, and 3% of colorectal cancer survivors reported using two or more devices in the past month. Survivors had lower mean gait speed scores (2.27) than adults without cancer history (2.39). In regression models, survivors were 18% less likely than adults without cancer history to score high on the gait speed test (odds ratio =.82; P <.05). Prior mobility device use, history of multiple falls, unhealthy weight, Black race, multimorbidity, and pain that limited activity were associated with lower gait speed scores in all participants (all P <.05). CONCLUSION: A greater proportion of older survivors used mobility devices than adults without cancer history. Mobility device use varied by cancer site and was highest in survivors of breast, colorectal, and gynecological cancer. Survivors were also more likely to show signs of mobility disability, based on gait speed, compared with adults without cancer history. These indications, although modest, suggest that older survivors may require special attention to functional changes in survivorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objectives: To explore nurses' practice patterns, knowledge, and barriers related to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional.Setting: The United States.Sample: 408 oncology nurses.Methods: A team of eight experts met and developed the CIPN nurse knowledge and preferences survey, which was electronically sent to randomly selected nurses.Main Research Variables: The survey assessed nurses' knowledge and practice patterns regarding assessment strategies and barriers, evidence-based interventions, preferences for education, and perceived gaps in scientific knowledge.Findings: Nurses in the survey lacked knowledge regarding neurotoxicity of specific agents and evidence-based treatments. CIPN-focused physical examinations and standardized measurement tools were infrequently used during assessment. The most frequently reported barriers to CIPN assessment included lack of access to measurement tools, lack of specialized skills needed for assessment, lack of confidence, and lack of time. Recommendations for future research included CIPN prevention research, exploration of CIPN-related effects on quality of life, and alternative treatments of CIPN. The majority of participants preferred online educational opportunities.Conclusions: Nurses do not consistently integrate evaluation and management of CIPN in their practices.Implications for Nursing: Educational offerings should incorporate web-based CIPN assessment and management content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As of 2022, close to 90 million persons in the United States, 243 million persons in Europe and 585 million worldwide have been infected with the novel SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus and survived. Estimates vary but suggest that up to 50% may experience long-term sequelae, termed 'Long-COVID'. While Long-COVID is a new condition, the phenomenon of disabling long-term effects following an illness requiring ongoing surveillance and management is not. In this commentary, we discuss how Long-COVID parallels the experiences of long-term cancer survivors, highlight shared challenges and offer opportunities to improve research and clinical care for both growing populations of patients as well as other long-term chronic, disabling conditions., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To define important aspects of survivorship care for the more than 1.2million survivors of gynecologic cancer currently living in the US., Data Sources: Research articles, reviews, position statements and white papers, and evidence-based guidelines., Conclusion: Survivorship care includes a coordinated plan of care, ongoing surveillance, health promotion support, and management of long-term and late effects of treatment., Implications for Nursing Practice: Nurses need to be aware of the current guidelines for post-treatment surveillance and health promotion recommendations for survivors of gynecologic cancers. Early identification of long-term and late effects of treatment followed by coordinated medical intervention and self-management education are essential to improve quality of life., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)