XV.

DISCHARGE PLAN: METHODS

METHODS INSTRUCTIONS
MEDICATIONS  Educated patient regarding the medication’s mechanism of
action, side and adverse effects, responsibilities, and the
need to inform the physician regarding any allergies.
 Instructed patient to take the prescribed medicines as
directed. Informed patient to call her healthcare provider if she
thinks her medicines are not helping or if she is experiencing
any side effects.
 Advised patient to inform her healthcare provider if she is
allergic to any medicine.
 Encouraged patient to keep a list of the medicines, vitamins,
and herbs taken on a regular basis. The amounts should be
included, and when and why they were taken. The patient
must bring the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits and
always carry this list with her in case of an emergency.
 Advised patient to comply with the home medications
prescribed to ensure optimum recovery and/or to alleviate
symptoms.
 Educated and informed patient regarding the medicines
prescribed by her doctor:
 Pain medications – given in order to take away or
decrease pain. Advised patient not to wait until the
pain is severe before taking the medicine.
 Laxatives – given in order to stimulate the bowel to
move on a regular basis
 Chemotherapy drugs (Oral) – given in order to treat
cervical cancer that has come back or spread to other
areas.
 Immunotherapy drugs – given in order to boost the
body’s natural defenses to fight cancer.
EXERCISE  Informed patient that she may have to limit certain activities
for a while. She may need extra rest throughout the day. But
still, she needs to try to get up and move around often.
 Encouraged patient to ask family members or friends to help
with shopping, meals, housework, and other tasks.
 Informed patient not to drive until she is no longer taking any
pain medication/s.
 Instructed patient to do the coughing and deep breathing
exercises she learned in the hospital.
 Encouraged patient to increase her activity slowly. Start with
short walks on a level surface.
 Informed patient to limit stair climbing to once or twice a day.
She needs to go slow and stop to rest after a few steps.
 Informed patient to ask her healthcare provider when she can
expect to return to work and her regular daily activities.

TREATMENT  Educated patient that the treatment she have will depend on:
 The size and type of cervical cancer you have
 Where the cancer is
 If it has spread
 Your general health

 Informed patient that the treatment will usually include

surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy and that it may also
include treatment with targeted medicines to treat the cancer.
  Ensured the patient that the specialist care team looking after
her will:
 Explain the treatments, benefits and side effect
 Work with her to create a treatment plan that's best for her
 Talk to her about the impact that the treatment may have
on her fertility

 Informed patient that she'll have regular check-ups during and

after any treatments and that she may also have tests and
scans.
 Allowed patient to take the time to learn about all of her
treatment options and to make sure to ask questions about
things that are unclear.
HEALTH TEACHING  Educated patient about the side effects and symptoms to
report. Additionally, once on chemotherapy, patient should be
educated about the potential for infection and when to report
signs to the provider, as well as how to manage nausea.
 Instructed patient to take only those medicines prescribed by
her healthcare provider. She should not take over-the-counter
medicines, vitamins, supplements, or herbs unless her
provider says it's OK.
 Instructed patient to check her temperature every day for a
week after getting discharged.
 Informed patient to take pain medicine exactly as directed.
 Reminded patient to continue the coughing and deep-
breathing exercises she learned in the hospital.
 Informed patient to shower as needed.
 Informed patient not to put anything in her vagina. This
includes tampons or douches.
 Reminded patient not to have sex until her provider says it's
OK.
 Encouraged patient to try to prevent constipation.
OUT-PATIENT  Encouraged patient to seek care immediately if she has any
of the following symptoms:

 Fever of 100.4 °F (38°C) or above, or as directed by

your provider
 Chills
 Increase in the amount of vaginal discharge, or any
changes in discharge
 Vaginal bleeding that soaks more than 1 pad per hour
 Pain or burning when you urinate
 Worsening belly (abdominal) pain
 Pain that is not relieved by medicine
 Redness, swelling, increased pain, or drainage around
any incisions
 Nausea or vomiting
 Leg pain, tenderness, redness, warmth, or swelling

 Encouraged patient to make follow-up appointments as

directed and to raise any questions or concerns about her
condition to her attending physician during the said event.
 Instructed patient when to call her healthcare provider and
also gave her possible contacts to reach out in case of
emergency or when she wants to set an appointment.
DIET  Encouraged patient to speak with a dietician if she needs help
with her diet.
 Informed patient that taking the right diet with the right foods
included, may help improve the treatment outcomes and
 reduce the aggravation of symptoms in cervical cancer.
 Recommended a plant-based diet that consists primarily of
fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. These foods
contain a variety of beneficial chemical compounds that can
be easily incorporated into daily meals such as:
 Flavonoids
 Folate
 Carotenoids
 Informed patient to limit or avoid the following:
 Foods high in added sugar
 Processed meats such as deli meat
 Red meats
 Foods high in saturated and trans fats
 Instructed patient to make it a habit to drink at least 8 glasses
of water/fluid everyday especially during cancer treatment.

SPIRITUAL/SEXUALITY  Encouraged patient to seek for spiritual support as it has been

acknowledged that religion plays a significant role in
determining a person’s ability to recover from cervical cancer.
 Informed patient that higher levels of emotional well-being are
beneficial for recovery and survival in physically ill patients.
 Informed patient that it is common for women with cervical
cancer to struggle with their body image, have less desire for
sexual intimacy, and/or find that penetration during sexual
activity has become painful.
 Informed patient to consult her physician before engaging in
any sexual activity.

REFERENCES:

1. MOUNT NITTANY HEALTH. (2021). Cancer, Cervical, Discharge Instructions for.

Retrieved from: https://mountnittany.org/wellness-article/cancer-cervical-discharge-
instructions-for
2. NHS. (n.d.). Treatment – Cervical Cancer. Retrieved from:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-cancer/treatment/