Nursing Care in the Ovarian Cancer According to Levine’s Conservation Model: A Case Report

Gynecological cancers and the treatment process can affect women biopsychosocially. Nursing care of the patient who was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer and who underwent radical surgery was carried out in accordance with the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association Taxonomy according to Levine’s conservation model. The patient is married and 58 years old. She was admitted to the hospital with complaints of swelling in the abdomen, respiratory distress, and gas pains. Free fluid in the abdomen, peritoneal implant, pleural effusion, and bilateral ovarian tumors were detected in the tests and exams. As a result of the tests, radical surgical treatment was administered to the patient, and the patient was diagnosed with fourth-stage ovarian cancer after the surgery. According to the principles in Levine’s conservation model, conservation of energy (acute pain, nutrition less than body requirements, etc.), conservation of structural integrity (activity intolerance, ineffective health maintenance, etc.), conversation of personal integrity (risk for body image disturbance, risk for sexual dysfunction, etc.), and conservation of social integrity (family mobilization) were evaluated in the context of the nursing process. In the evaluation of the case, Levine’s conservation model guided the planning of priority and possible problems in the early post-operative period and the maintenance of nursing care.