Plan for tomorrow. Healthy individuals usually do not have to worry about their energy expenditure. Patients with cancer, however, must understand the need to anticipate and plan for physical and emotional stressors. While no one can plan for every emergency, many emotionally stressful events are predictable, such as holidays and reunions. Practice a good excuse.
Some patients have trouble saying no.
Patients need to give themselves permission to tell people that they cannot do something. Encourage patients to keep trying. Have patients focus on accomplishing the activities that are the most important to them personally. If the patient's fatigue remains unmanageable, use the nursing process as a general trouble-shooting guideline. Above all, include the patients and their families in any nursing assessment and care plan.