Prevent Hair Loss During Chemotherapy Treatments

Get the Facts on the Penguin Cold Cap

R.N.s in oncology and med/surg jobs figure prominently into the care and treatment of breast cancer survivors; keeping patients’ morale high during chemotherapy is an absolute must—and that’s why compassionate professionals in registered nurse and travel nurse jobs should prioritize keeping up with the latest in alopecia solutions, recognized worldwide. The Penguin Cold Cap is such a solution, and grabbed the interest of the healthcare community at large, recently, when its related non-profit, The Rupunzel Project, which subsidizes the cost of cold caps for women with breast cancer, was featured on Good Morning America.

The reason Cold Caps are increasing in popularity; It’s good news for your patients!     

Cold caps have been around for decades, but are only recently achieving success and popularity. First introduced in 1994, with FDA support pending until more studies are run on the risk of developing scalp metastasis, Penguin cold caps recently calculated a miniscule 1.1% risk. These studies were on women with cancer in the early stages, and further showed an 80 to 90% success rate among patients whose treatments allowed them to use the caps correctly.

How does the patient use the Cold Cap—and what is it made of?

The current cold cap making headlines for its success, is really more of gel-filled helmet, and because it’s tightly strapped to the patient’s head, preventive measures must be taken to avoid frostbite on the forehead and around the ears—that’s why moleskin and Kotex—cut and set in place with the latter’s adhesive—is ideal for improving comfort and safety in the long hours the cap is worn; typically 2 hours while chemo takes place, and then for up to 4 hours following each round of chemo. The cold cap is priced at about $35, and must be replaced approximately every 25 minutes with a new cold cap registering at 30 degrees or below.

The patient featured in this video advocates bringing plenty of reading material and your best electric blanket. She likens the cold to “ an ache�—like being on a ski lift for a long time, but well worth the mild discomfort in the end. She made many insightful comments about the process, but the one that might capture the interest of compassionate registered nurses is this one: how, as a cancer patient, she realized much it meant to her family to have something to do. Participating in the transportation of the cold caps, fitting them and refitting them again, gave her spouse a valuable sense of purpose throughout her breast cancer ordeal.   

Work in a rewarding Med/Surg Nursing career that utilizes the latest trends in Oncology

American Traveler, a leading nurse staff agency, strives to keep the registered nurses and therapists in our employ on the tip-top of the hottest trends in healthcare. Our recruiters staff talent in America’s best hospitals, in med/surg and other specialty healthcare careers that have helped the facilities in partnership with us achieve their high rankings in U.S News & World Report. Call us at 800-884-8788 or apply online today to be part of groundbreaking patient care, where marvels like cold caps are just the tip of the iceberg!