Encouraging wellness in patients with a chronic illness is a nursing priority. Promoting health and wellness can only enhance the quality of life and functional ability of our elderly patients (Tabloski, 2014). The purpose of this post is to discuss what wellness in chronic illness mean to me. I will also share my thoughts and ideas about chronic illness with my colleagues.
Improving quality care among chronic illnesses, such as arthritis, diabetes, and coronary heart disease, is a global healthcare problem (Gibbons et al., 2017). To me, wellness in chronic illness means preventing further progression and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. There are three nursing interventions to promote wellness for our older adult population. The first
As an Exercise Physiology and Nutrition major, I plan on using my degree to promote wellness in the school system. America is facing an obesity epidemic and I intend to make a difference by tackling childhood obesity.
Quality of life is a concept that has been becoming a more integral part of health care and nursing theories as time passes by. Improving quality of life is one of the most important outcomes of nursing interventions and practice. The rising number of older adults with chronic diseases, the increased expectations and demands for a good life, and major changes in our healthcare system, has led to increased concern for the enhancement of quality of life of our aging population, but the ambiguous nature and subjectivity of this term leads to a lack of clarity on how this should be accomplished. (Plummer & Molzahn, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to
Healthy way of life acquired recognition. Overall health is actually very important for everybody mainly because this is certainly a thing you can’t shop for for cash. For this reason, folks are looking for guidelines the way to make improvements to personal wellness. Actually, in case you actually wish to be healthy and also fit you actually must adhere to moderate meal plans and also on a regular basis do exercises. Certainly, you can find absolutely no instant outcomes in dieting as well as fitness. But, it really is very crucial to start out. A lot of men and women think that it is actually not possible to alter life-style, drop some weight as well as turn into fit. This is certainly a misconception. The following are ideas for almost all men and women who would like to be healthful and full of energy every day.
Over the last one hundred years there has been a great change in the way nurses, doctors, and others in the medical field, as well as the general public, have come to view health and wellness. Where once health was thought to only be comprised of our physical body and the physical things that affect it, we now know that health encompasses so much more. We know that who we are is made up not only of the physical body, but also of mind, and spirit (Koerner, 2011), and that this not only affects each of us individually but also those
Nurses who work in holistic medicine will perform patient assessments to identify short- and long-term needs. They will facilitates patient and family involvement in developing holistic care plans. They will provides holistic health care interventions that are goal-oriented, researched-based and patient-focused. They evaluates the effectiveness of interventions and modify care practices based on results. They share relevant patient care information to promote continuity of care between different provider
When delivering care to a patient, their wellbeing includes more than just their physical state; patient’s wellbeing also contributes to their mental and emotional state. Nurses need to view the whole patient because it uses a holistic approach and can stimulate further healing. Sandra, one patient in the module, had numerous problems when she visited her nurse. However, the nurse looked at Sandra in a holistic way; the nurse knew that Sandra could improve her lifestyle by helping Sandra determine the stressors in her life. Sandra discovered that her diet impacted her fatigue, anxiety, and depression levels and her eating habits contributed to her gas and bloating. With a change in eating habits, Sandra lost weight, slept better, and reduced the dosage of some of her numerous medications. All three aspects of Sandra’s wellbeing: mind, body, and spirit, were accomplished by using a holistic approach. I will implement the whole person approach in my career because it incorporates the patient’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing which is a central idea that we as nurses strive to
As Nurses, we often ask ourselves what more can we do than is currently being done to improve the health of our clients not only in an individual sense but as a community. We are required by the scope and standards of nursing to ask ourselves this type of question by virtue of our profession and indeed is a baccalaureate nurse essential as well. We are in a unique position as nurses to have the most interaction with the community of patients we serve, and we often see the issues that affect the communities we serve more readily. One such issue that is undeniably
The wellness approach to health is an alternative way of living that encourages self awareness and understanding as a means of ensuring lasting health. There are six areas of living that the wellness approach focuses on and prompts people to take responsibility for their health. These ways include acceptance of normal aging, understanding holistic living's responsibilities, varying daily activities, knowing gender and age-specific healthcare needs, health assessment strategies, and proper health assessment creation.
With the aging population at an all time high and continuing to climb there had been a spike in patients with chronic illness. Due to this the way in which patients are cared for and educated must change, chronic illness follows the patient out of the healthcare setting and they must be aware of how to care for themselves and their illness at home. This is a drastic shift in what healthcare used to be about, treating the acute illness. The Center for Disease Control defines acute illnesses as, severe and sudden in onset, for example a broken bone or the common cold. A chronic condition by contrast is a long- developing syndrome like osteoporosis or diabetes (CDC.gov). Treatment and education of a patient with chronic illness is at high demand and nurses must now gear their care towards these needs.
According to Kelly & Tazbir (2014), there are two nursing implications when caring for aging adults with chronic
The interview served as a fundamental example which enabled me to further my role as a student nurse for future experiences. Nurses have a role in promoting health and preventing illness among the elderly through teaching and encouraging self-care (Taylor, 2015). The interview showed me that each patient is unique. Nursing diagnoses and interventions must be individualized since there is no standardized plan of care. Each patient’s medical history and degree of the health problem differs. I must take into consideration all the factors that may play a role in a patient’s life. Health is much more than the physical aspect because emotional and mental health are equally as important. I also learned to stray away from
Often in practice, we as nurses deal with a variety of diseases and treatments and often have to react to the illness that the patient presents with upon our interaction. While this is an essential piece of our practice, we also have a duty to our patients to be proactive in preventing specific health-related consequences based on their risk factors and to promote their health and well being. Health promotion as it relates to nursing is about us empowering our patients to increase their control over their lives and well beings and includes: focusing on their health not just illness, empowering our patients, recognizing that health involves many dimensions and is also effected by factors outside of their control (Whitehead et al. 2008)..
My own health comes first; it is an example to others and must be reflected and tended to daily. Awareness is the first step in healing or change. My health includes striving for awareness of others and myself. It is important to remember that everyone is doing the best they can at any given moment. People can only do so much with the understanding, awareness, and knowledge they possess. Pattern reorganization can be uncomfortable and healing can be painful. We are all in a state of continual learning. Frustrations may be outwardly projected when disequilibrium is present. It is a nurse’s job to be mindful of this and continue providing supportive, quality
This shift in the way nursing staff style the care given is more in keeping of a holistic model of care (Rourke 1991). Hughes (2003) would also have us believe that due to this holistic approach to the care given this places the nurse in a position to teach techniques to support the patients’ independence. This requires a collaborative approach which is derived from the patient involvement of treatment, due to the patient engagement this acts as encouragement for them to take action and empowering their independence and autonomy. Which will allow for the patients to take control of their own health. Casper (cited by Hughes 2003) suggests that by nursing in this manner the overall benefits to patients are improved by such means as the pain felt is decreased. Also that the symptoms are often reduced in severity which can vastly improves life satisfaction and improve the feeling of control over their
Bennett, C., Perry, J., & Lawrence, Z. (2009). Promoting health in primary care. Nursing Standard, 23(47), 48-56.