Nursing Care for the Patient

When caring for an individual who has been diagnosed with a glioma, a nurse provides care dependent upon the progression of the tumor. A patient may require care ranging from post-surgery care after the resection of the tumor to palliative care when no other treatment is suitable for the patient. Just how treatment and outcome depend on the location and size of the glioma, the care that a patient may require is also dependent on the characteristics of the tumor. Extra assistance with mobility or completing activities of daily living (ADLs) are most likely tasks when the nurse will assist the patient. ADLs include everyday tasks like bathing, grooming (brushing hair, brushing teeth), getting dressed, eating, and using the bathroom. When it comes to doing a nursing assessment, it would most likely be directed specifically on a patient's neurological status because the brain is the affected organ. Changes in cognition, memory, movement, sight and a variety of other functions regulated by that brain may be affected by the presence of a glioma so a nurse will assess neurological function and provide care accordingly.