Patients seek medical treatment with the primary goal of keeping complications to a minimum. Furthermore, every patient wishes to live a more fulfilling life before being diagnosed with a medical condition. When it comes to breast cancer, this is not always the case since treating patients with chemotherapy has side effects that result in psychological problems. Therefore, it is necessary to devise a strategy that ensures the patient is not adversely affected by the treatment and that their mental condition has improved despite side effects. Lesiuk’s research shows that practicing mindfulness improves the mental health of patients undergoing treatment and lessens the adverse effects of medication on the brain. She focuses on a small sample to conduct a pilot study on the impact of mindfulness-based music therapy (MBMT) on breast cancer patients concerning the chemotherapy treatment they are receiving. To provide an accurate assessment of Lesiuk’s article, I will examine its presentation of information and the soundness of the methodology and research strategy she used to arrive at her arguments. The assessment will determine the validity of applying Lesiuk’s study recommendations to nursing practice, focusing on adjuvant chemotherapy treatment.
The primary objective of this study is to conduct a critical evaluation of Lesiuk’s article. It is titled “The effect of mindfulness-based music therapy on attention and mood in women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: a pilot study.” The paper seeks to comprehend its implications for nursing practice and the outcomes that can be anticipated to be accomplished. This paper will discuss the effects that music focusing on the patient’s mindfulness will have on the patient’s ability to recall chemotherapy sessions while minimizing the negative effects associated with chemotherapy sessions. These effects are expected to have a positive impact to patients with breast cancer who are being cared for by nurses.
Evaluation of Lesiuk’s presentation reveals an articulate and persuasive argument concerning the efficacy of music therapy for breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant treatment. She zeroes in on 15 women whose breast cancer has been diagnosed between stages 1-3 and who are currently undergoing chemotherapy (278). She is forthright about her research, methods, and results (279). The information is presented in an orderly fashion that is easy to comprehend with no ambiguity. She discusses the significance of the study to the nursing field and how nurses can use the findings to help their patients cope with stress (281). Lesiuk stays on track with the study’s purpose and includes essential, pertinent details that enrich the discussion. Researchers in the same field as Lesiuk are the only ones who can help improve the presentation of ideas as they are presented here.
A critical evaluation of the research’s methodology reveals a variety of crucial approaches for conducting credible research. The longitudinal method enables the researcher to identify population-level changes and track the development of the subject in real-time. Lesiuk opted for a research design that integrated longitudinal, quantitative, and descriptive methods (277). Due to the use of this research strategy, the outcomes of the preliminary study and pilot project were highly successful in meeting their respective objectives (278). In addition, the researcher collected all of the information she sought, which has a significant bearing on the significance of her findings, indicating that music therapy will benefit women with breast cancer. She used repeated measures analysis of variance to analyze her data accurately (279). Due to the design’s high level of precision, it is possible to ensure that the data is always authentic and verifiable. It significantly reduces the margin for error, laying the groundwork for enhanced performance and more equitable outcomes. Consequently, she has taken the necessary measures to ensure that her methodology is sufficiently detailed, enabling the reader to easily replicate her actions and identify problem areas requiring further study.
My evaluation of the argument presented by Lesiuk in her study reveals that she is a thorough researcher who wants to leave nothing to chance. I, therefore, concur with her findings since the study has a great deal of credibility as it draws on the work of other scholars and uses their research to support its arguments (280). In addition, she ensures credibility in her research by being mindful of her sample (277), which ensures that she gets the correct data from them. She maintains professionalism and ensures her participants know her research (278). As a result of studies examining the aftereffects of MBMT participation, medical professionals now have a wealth of new information that can be used to provide patients with the best possible care. Since they can significantly improve patient health and help restore patients’ faith in chemotherapy treatment, which has been shown to impact patients’ lives negatively, the research findings are likely to be implemented.
In conclusion, Lesiuk found that patients who practiced mindfulness during adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer reported feeling better emotionally and experiencing fewer adverse side effects from their medication. She provides a transparent account of her study’s methods and findings. Her information is well-structured as she elaborates on the significance of MBMT for nurses and how they can apply the findings to aid patients in dealing with the adverse effects of stress. The study’s results are likely to be implemented since they can enhance patient health and renew patients’ faith in chemotherapy treatment. Therefore, I am pleased to have selected this learning resource to evaluate as I am more enlightened regarding MBMT. The resource has contributed significantly to my desire to learn more about MBMT; the other therapy areas are significant. As a result, I concur with Lesiuk that the unique contribution of music to mindfulness practice in the form of MBMT significantly improves attention and mood states for women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Work Cited
Lesiuk, Teresa. “The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy on Attention and Mood in Women Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study.”Oncology Nursing Forum, vol. 42, no. 3, 2015, pp. 276–282. Web.