Having been a certified gastrointestinal (GI) nurse for 17 years, it was a low blow when four years ago my husband of 30 years was diagnosed with Stage III rectal cancer. I will tell our story, from the moment my favorite gastroenterologist/best friend came out from procedure, put his hand on my shoulder, and couldn't say a word. The photo of Bob's tumor was ugly and my mind was full of questions. Bob's first words were that he couldn't donate blood ever again. He'd been a regular O-positive donor for years; I thought this an unusual, albeit unselfish, reaction to his diagnosis. He had NO idea what was ahead-of course, I had TOO much of an idea!! I will cover diagnostic tools, colon cancer screening, staging of the tumor, and tell of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. My "what-if's", the medical follow-up, Bob's road to recovery, and the coping mechanisms of both patient and family will be addressed. Come hear how this couple's joint "vision" for healing, the presenter's professional experience and expertise ("knowledge"), and the "potential" for ultimate recovery led them though the Gateway of Opportunity of living their lives together.

Section Description

We are pleased to present the abstracts from sgna's 36th annual course, SGNA: your gateway to opportunity. The diversity of these topics certainly reflects the richness and breadth of our specialty. in keeping with the tradition of the annual course, we hope the following abstracts will encourage discussions for improving nursing practice and patient care outcomes.