Brain Tumour Home Nursing

Anchor each visit to the treatment phase and the person’s baseline

Record the tumour location and known effects, recent surgery, radiotherapy or systemic treatment, treatment intent, precautions and next appointments. Establish a baseline for orientation, alertness, pupils when specifically instructed, speech, vision, strength, sensation, balance, swallowing, continence, pain, seizures and assistance with daily tasks. Add steroid and antiepileptic timing, anticoagulants, diabetes implications, allergies and all wound, drain, line or feeding-device instructions. This makes the visit responsive to the real plan rather than a generic cancer checklist.

Track symptoms in a way the treating team can act on: onset, severity, pattern, relationship to medicines or treatment, effect on sleep and function, and what relieved or worsened them. Check hydration, nutrition, constipation, mouth comfort, skin, wound, infection signs and falls risk. Steroids may affect sleep, mood, appetite, glucose and infection risk, but the nurse should report patterns rather than change dosing. New neurological findings require the designated clinical or emergency pathway, not observation until the next scheduled visit.

Agree what matters most in the current phase. During recovery this may be wound care, medicines, safe mobility and rehabilitation carry-over; during active treatment it may be side-effect surveillance, devices and appointment readiness; with comfort-focused care it may be symptom relief, dignity, family teaching and respite coordination. Review decision-making support and caregiver capacity as cognition or function changes. Keep oncology, neurosurgery, primary care, palliative and emergency contacts clearly separated so the family does not lose time deciding whom to call.

• Treatment-specific baseline
• Actionable symptom chronology
• Medicine and device ownership
• Phase-appropriate goals and contacts