Family caregivers and physicians caring for cancer patients: On-the-job training for all

摘要

I am writing from the bedside of a family member who recently underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. After participating in two brief training sessions and watching nurses do their jobs, I learned how to administer total parenteral nutrition, flush a pancreatic drain, and handle other caregiving tasks. I am not alone. More than 40 million Americans serve as unpaid caregivers for a family member who is 50 years of age or older. Given the psychological burdens of caregiving and the need for on-the-job training, family-directed interventions have been mounted.