Question 1: How is chronicity defined? Why is an illness rather than a disease approach to chronic and complex illness important from a nursing perspective? Discuss in relation to depression as a co-morbidity in chronic illness.
Chronicity has been defined as an illness that is persistent in effect and in duration, cannot be solved naturally, and may never be cured completely (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2012). It has occurred in various phases, forms, ages and sizes to people who experience accumulation or potential disease or impairments. Normally, chronic conditions are permanent presences that may exist lifelong and usually need long term management. It requires utilization of whole human resources to support patient's care and self-care, maintain body functions, and prevent possible disability to the patient in the future (Johnson & Chang 2008).
In general, the terms disease and illness have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably; however, there is still a clear difference between them. Disease refers to the pathophysiology that leads to patient's body
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Nowadays and into the future, nurses will need to provide comprehensive service to the patient with chronic illness and/or disability under board range health care system; this requires nurses to obtain knowledge, skills, attitudes related to chronic illness care, and also to understand the patient and their families' who suffer from living with chronic conditions to provide optimal care for them (Johnson & Chang 2008). Hence, from a nursing perspective, appreciating illness includes all aspects of personhood that are influenced by the existence of a chronic condition and/or disability. It is more important than understanding basic disease
In my opinion health is a state of mind and to be ill is having a physical or mental sensation of being unwell.
Nursing got defined according to the meta-paradigm for its ability to develop and sustain a connection and concern, which gets exhibited through the existence of a strong relationship between the patients and the nurses. According to Masters, (206), nursing gets views as the nature of care and the research into the illness, health and disease, and the relationship between the three aspects of a patient’s body. In my position as a Registered Nurse, we engaged in various missions aimed at checking the wellness of patients and the sustainable healthcare of the patients.
Nursing care incorporates not only a compassionate attitude but passion for care of patients. The caring component of nursing cannot be measured, rather dissected through theory within the clarification of what nurses do. Systemically this is all supported through abundant theories and theorist. The nursing profession emphasizes on holistic care which is defined as treatment of the whole person. Within this skill is the admittance of problems that are biomedical but also opportune clarification of the well-being and health of a human that introduces added indicators of disease that are non-visualized (Powers, 2011).
Nursing revolves, not merely about looking after patients, but creating awareness in the society about self care nursing and prevention strategies and to communicate with their patients in a holistic manner, so as to satisfy their physical, mental and spiritual health needs. Various nursing theorists have repeatedly
When referring to disease, the word "chronic" indicates that the disease process, once developed, is slow and
So let’s start out by medically defining what a disease is. The Merriam-Webster dictionary (2003) defines a disease as: “an impairment of the normal state of the living
The management of co-morbidities in America is an escalating dilemma for advance practice nurses (APNs). As an advance practice nurse (APN) continues to expand in her direct care role the depth and breadth of his/her advanced practice will focus on ongoing management and care of diverse populations that present to the APNs practice with hypertension and other co-morbidities which must be treated suitably with the best evidenced based approach and current guidelines aimed at promotion, maintenance and advancement of patient’s health, prevention or reduction in progression of maladies burden and cost. Hypertension and co-morbidities such as Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and Hyperlipidemia are health problems frequently seen by practitioners with potentially ravaging, though preventable outcomes.
With new direction that healthcare is taking Change in nursing practice is eminent to deliver care to a complex population from conception to death. Representations on how to practice nursing is expected to raise and transform. This new endeavor is the road to keep patient healthy. The relationship between the patient and care giver will go past actual occurrences of malady. The focus is on delivering care that is mainly focus on the needs of the patient in a continuum. In collaboration with everyone in the care team the patient is a unique person with unique needs who from one stage to another, meaning from the hospital to rehab, from rehab to home and to the community. Care for everyone in the same fashion each time without limitation. The continuum of care framework focuses on integrating the services provided to the client, rather than on the integration of service organizations.
Disease is a medical term, used to describe the presence of some clinical pathology, which is utilized for therapy and diagnosed by a clinician. Illness is a lay concept, used to describe when a person experiences, biological alteration in the body. It is an individual response to physiological and psychological stimuli. There are people who have abnormalities in the body and don’t feel any illness, or people whose tissues don’t experience changes but they don’t function well. I believe they can exist in the absence of others, if you are ill, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are fighting a disease. While, you could have a disease, but don’t experience illness. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2080455/)
Disease is a medical term, used to describe the presence of some clinical pathology, which is utilized to therapy and diagnosed by a clinician. Illness is a lay concept used to describe when a person experiences biological alteration in the body. It is an individual response to physiological and psychological stimuli. There are people who have abnormalities in the body and don’t feel any illness, or people whose tissues don’t experience changes but they don’t function well. I believe they can exist in the absence of others, if you are ill it doesn’t necessarily mean you are fighting a disease. While, you could have a disease but don’t experience illness. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2080455/)
Kristen M. Swanson’s Caring Theory is the solution in bridging the gap between nursing practice and theory. It offers an explanation of the links between patient well-being and the caring process (Tonges & Ray, 2011). Swanson explained that nurses should be able to demonstrate that they care about their patients, and that caring about their wellbeing is as important as their patients’ current medical problem (Tonges & Ray, 2011).
Chronic illnesses require long-term management. The duration is often three months or longer. They have immutable characteristics that are unlikely to resolve spontaneously. (Hinkle, 2014)
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
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.
To summarize this theory in my own words I would say that as nurses we need to acknowledge that patients are shaped from their experiences and that they are more than just an illness. We need to accept people for whom they choose to be from what they were given. Sometimes a person’s image of wellness is not the