Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Develop a professional product to improve care or the patient experience related to the identified health problem with a 2-4 page summary of intervention findings, evidence, and best-practice basis for the professional product.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

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Important: You must complete all of the assessments in order for this course.

For this assessment, you will develop and deliver a professional product to address the health problem defined in your first assessment to improve care and the patient experience. This will be delivered remotely rather than face-to-face to the individual or group (who can be friends and family) that you have identified. Appropriate examples include development of a community education program focused on a particular health issue or a handout to help the elderly and their families understand their Medicare and Medicaid options. The product must be useful in a practice setting, relevant to your project, and designed to improve some aspect of care or the patient experience.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

A brief summary of the findings of your intervention and evidence-based support for your professional product should accompany your product.

Reminder: For this assessment, you are required to log in CORE ELMS the hours that you spend in remote contact with a patient (who could be a friend or family member). Three hours of remote contact is the minimum total amount of time required in this course. Planning time is not included and need not be logged.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

As a baccalaureate nurse, you can enhance the experience, health, and lives of patients, families, and community members through personal interactions as well as by developing products to educate or improve the care experience. The ability to identify an appropriate product for improving the quality, safety, cost, and experience of care is an important skill. It also allows a BSN-prepared nurse to demonstrate mastery of patient-centered care delivery. These skills are critical as medicine becomes more personalized and nurses advance in their career and practice leadership.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:

Competency 1: Lead people and processes to improve patient, systems, and population outcomes.
Explain ways in which leadership of people and processes was utilized while designing an intervention and implementation plan.Diabetes Self-Management Essay
Competency 2: Make clinical and operational decisions based upon the best available evidence.
Justify decisions related to developing a professional product with relevant research, evidence, and best practices.
Competency 3: Transform processes to improve quality, enhance patient safety, and reduce the cost of care.
Demonstrate process improvements in the quality, safety, or cost of care as a result of a direct clinical intervention and a developed professional product.
Competency 7: Implement patient-centered care to improve quality of care and the patient experience.
Demonstrate patient-experience improvements resulting from a clinical intervention and implementation of a newly developed professional product.
Competency 8: Integrate professional standards and values into practice.
Communicate professionally in writing that is clear and logically organized, with correct grammar, spelling, and use of APA style.
Important: You must complete all of the assessments in order for this course.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Preparation
Before submitting this assessment, you must have logged at least three remote contact hours in CORE ELMS. These hours will include only the time that you spent working remotely with patients, families, and/or community members to implement your intervention, collect and analyze data, and deliver your professional product to your target audience. Please be advised that the Volunteer Experience form requires that you provide the name and contact information for at least one individual with whom you worked as part of your direct clinical activity. Your faculty may reach out to this individual to verify that you have accurately documented and completed your clinical hours.

Instructions
For this assessment, you will develop and deliver a professional product to address the health problem defined in your first assessment to improve care and the patient experience. This will be delivered remotely rather than face-to-face to the individual or group that you have identified. Appropriate examples include development of a community education program focused on a particular health issue or a handout to help the elderly and their families understand their Medicare and Medicaid options. The product must be useful in a practice setting, relevant to your project, and designed to improve some aspect of care or the patient experience that can be used in your own practice, with your family or community.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Relevant products include but are not limited to:

Patient education handout (such as a medication sheet).
Patient safety plan.
Process improvement in-service.
Medicaid/Medicare patient coverage and finance guide.
Teaching plan.
Your submission will consist of two parts: an APA-formatted paper providing your rationale and supporting evidence, and the professional product.

For the brief APA-style paper, one organizational option is:

Summary of intervention and implementation:
What did you do?
How did you lead in terms of the processes used in the project?
With what participants?
Who were your interprofessional collaborators?
How did you lead them in this project?
What were your key findings?
Evidence-based rationale for professional product development:Diabetes Self-Management Essay
What professional product did you develop?
Why did you choose this type of product?
How does it align with your intervention?
How will the product help improve outcomes?
How will the product enhance the patient experience?
How does the product improve a process related to quality, safety, and/or cost of care?
How do relevant research, evidence, and best practices support your choice of professional product and approach?
For your professional product, you may choose to develop a deliverable that could be used in your care setting to communicate and sustain relevant improvements related to the intervention you carried out. The key is that the professional product is useful to the target audience (such as a large-print Medicaid/Medicare patient coverage and finance guide that is easy for the elderly and their families to use, or an easily implemented process improvement in-service for home care nurses).Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Scoring Guide Criteria
Your brief paper and professional product will be assessed according to the following scoring guide criteria:

Explain ways in which leadership of people and processes was utilized while designing an intervention and implementation plan.
Demonstrate process improvements in the quality, safety, or cost of care as a result of a direct clinical intervention and a developed professional product.
Demonstrate patient-experience improvements resulting from a clinical intervention and implementation of a newly developed professional product.
Justify decisions related to developing a professional product with relevant research, evidence, and best practices.
Communicate professionally in writing that is clear and logically organized, with correct grammar, spelling, and use of APA style.Diabetes Self-Management Essay
Additional Requirements
Length of submission: APA-style paper should be 2–4 pages of content plus title and reference pages. There is no length requirement for your professional product. The type of deliverable you choose will determine its length and format.
Number of references: Cite a minimum of 5 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that support your decisions and rationale in your APA-style paper. Resources should be no more than 5 years old.
APA formatting: References and citations are formatted according to current APA style. Use appropriate APA citations (in-text and reference list) in the paper and professional product.
Portfolio Prompt: Remember to save the assessment to your ePortfolio. After you complete your program you may want to consider leveraging your Portfolio as part of a job search or other demonstration of your academic competencies.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

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Grading Rubric:

1. Explain ways in which leadership of people and processes was utilized while designing an intervention and implementation plan.

Passing Grade: Explains thoroughly ways in which leadership of people and processes was utilized while designing an intervention and implementation plan. Notes how the leadership approach contributed to improved outcomes, or could be modified to address challenges.

2. Demonstrate process improvements in the quality, safety, or cost of care as a result of a direct clinical intervention and a developed professional product.

Passing Grade: Demonstrates process improvements in the quality, safety, or cost of care as a result of a direct clinical intervention and a developed professional product. Makes explicit reference to data and evidence to support relevant improvements.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

3. Demonstrate patient-experience improvements resulting from a clinical intervention and implementation of a newly developed professional product.

Passing Grade: Demonstrates patient-experience improvements resulting from a clinical intervention and implementation of a newly developed professional product, making explicit reference to data and evidence to illustrate relevant improvements.

4. Justify decisions related to developing a professional product with relevant research, evidence, and best practices.

Passing Grade: Justifies decisions related to developing a professional product with relevant research, evidence, and best practices. Notes criteria used to determine the relevance of the supporting evidence.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

5. Communicate professionally in writing that is clear and logically organized, with correct grammar, spelling, and use of APA style.

Passing Grade: Communicates professionally in writing that is exceptionally clear and well organized, with correct grammar, spelling, and flawless use of APA style.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Diabetes is an incurable disorder in which an individual is required to make several self-management decisions on a daily basis and carry out complex self-care processes. Diabetes self-management support (DSMS) is a process in which an individual with diabetes is assisted by a nursing professional in putting into practice and maintaining the characteristics required to control his or her disease on a continuous basis (Brunisholz et al. 2014). The method of assistance offered can be psychosocial, behavioral, clinical, or educational, and a patient-centered approach is applied to ensure that the care is provided respectfully and the patient’s decisions and values control all clinical decisions. Despite having DSMS, there is diabetes self-management education (DSME), which is a continuous activity of simplifying the understanding, and the skills required for self-care during diabetes. The process includes the requirements, objectives, and personal life experiences with the disease and is managed through evidence-based research.Diabetes Self-Management Essay
The main objective of DSME is to reinforce enlightened decision-making, problem-solving, self-care characteristics, and an active alliance with clinicians to improve clinical results and health outcomes (Powers & Marrero, 2016). In DSMS, there is shared decision making among the nurses, whether professional or in practice, which is a major element in patient-centered care, which gives rise to patient attitude and choices as well as provides information to enable full participation of the patient. Shared decision making has been proved to enhance clinical, behavioral, and psychosocial results for individuals with diabetes. Through the patient-centered approach, nurses are required to collaborate and effectively communicate with patients with diabetes. Through this approach, practice nurses obtain emotions, interpretation, and understanding through active asking open-ended questions and searching the aspiration to change in diabetes patients to support self-management. Moreover, practice nurses applying the approach assist the diabetes patient to have a better understanding of the options available and feel supported when making instructed self-management decisions.
American Diabetes Association (2016) states that diabetes care professionals should set out appropriate lifestyle reinforcement or pharmacological therapy for diabetes patients with no beneficial glucose levels, lipid management, or blood pressure. He suggests that nurses should apply strategies such as setting goals directly with the patient, recognizing barriers to care provided, consolidating evidence-based measures, as well as other nurses, healthcare providers, and pharmacists, have proved to maximize team behavior, thereby enhancing the care provided. There is also the strategy of increasing the functions of teams involved in diabetes management strategies such as revising care activities and eliminating financial barriers such as out of pocket costs. Additionally, there is a patient-centered medical home initiative that enhances results through organized basic care and provides new chances of diabetes care that is based on a team.Diabetes Self-Management Essay
When offering support to diabetes patients, nurses mostly forget about utilizing family members as a resource to offer support. The strategy of involving family members and friends in DSME/S activities regularly can help improve the patient’s positive outcome (Wetherill et al. 2019). Family members can also assist in shared decision making, where they adjust the medication plan according to the requirements of the patient to improve the patient’s outcome. Though DSMS has included the issue of strategies to cover psychosocial problems and concerns, there should be more mental health measures needed to cover the critical stress related to diabetes, anxiety, and clinical depression.Diabetes Self-Management Essay
There are board nursing standards that are required for diabetes self-management education. According to Beck et al. (2018), DSME system is required to choose a group of advisors who assist in quality assurance when nurses are in the process of educating the patients. This group of individuals should incorporate health professionals, individuals with diabetes, and the community, just to mention a few. Incorporating the small group of professionals in a DSME program ensures that the process applied by the nurse is patient-centered and responds to the patient’s requirements as well as those of the community. There is also the standard that states that the DSME system is required to discover the diabetes educational requirement of the patients as well as recognize the resources compulsory to meet these requirements. DSME is a crucial element in the process of treating diabetes, but most of the patients with diabetes do not get proper diabetes education. Due to this, during the assessment period, nurses are required to identify if there are issues with receiving diabetes education. I was fascinated to find out that when a nurse is planning, implementing, and evaluating a diabetes self-management education, a supervisor is assigned to conduct the process. The supervisor has academics and experts in the preparation of incurable disease care and program management education. The healthcare professional acting as the supervisor will be of use if there is familiarity with the lasting activities of chronic disease management and with the diabetes management program.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

The article is seeking to identify the difficulties faced by diabetes patients living in rural setting who have to manage type 2 diabetes and approaches they can use to effectively manage the diabetes. It has been recognized world wide the diabetes is a chief public health problem and also a financial load. Though research has identified that people with diabetes do not follow details self-care programs and this has resulted to their conditions not improving. The authors’ main point is addressing the obstacles that face patients under self-care and he is targeting nurses, health care providers and public each of them to play their role in bringing about recovery and treatment of diabetes patient.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Among the difficulties faced by diabetes patients in managing diabetes include, lack of support networks, health care provider information not being individualistic, lack of knowledge to manage diet plans, poor attitude and lack of financial resources to cater for medication. Among the strategies that can be used to help in self-management of diabetes include, integration of exercises and facilitating collaborative relationship with the heath care provider, maintaining a positive attitude and having a supportive person who can be a spouse or family member to give encouragement and assistance in adhering to diet plan. In addition encouraging of group participation and education will help in patients expressing their feelings and emotions and in the process remove the stigma associated with the disease. Maintenance of a strong network of colleagues besides providing a positive attitude also assists patients in sourcing of materials to facilitate better understanding and manage diabetes. Diabetes being a dietary disease therefore requires the patients to adapt changes in their dietary requirements and also incorporate exercises in their self care in order to ensure treatment.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Introduction
Diabetes being a chronic disease can cause serious complications which can result to a major financial burden and lowering of the quality of life affecting the patient and their families. Often diabetes requires patients to change their lifestyles particularly in the diet and exercises which are critical in the treatment of diabetes. However it has been shown that these integrated measures are difficult to adhere mainly for patients undergoing self-care and most patients face obstacles that pose major barriers in following these programs (Aljasem and Clark, 2001).Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Background information
The articles analyzing the obstacles faced by diabetes patients who receive self-care while in their rural homes and ways to minimize these obstacles in order to ensure diabetes patients receive proper self -management. The author is reporting to the nurses and health care providers who are key people in ensuring the recovery of diabetes patients. According to author people suffering from diabetes do not normally follow up to details the self-care requirements and as a result most patients don’t see improvements in their diabetic conditions.

Worldwide diabetes has been a main public health concern and to the affected families it’s a financial burden as a result of huge finances incurred in medication and special diets. A research was done by the author using 24 adults with type 2 diabetes in a rural main care practice were used to take part in the study in one of three recorded focus groups. The data was collected in 2002 and analyzed for the content on the focus group and legitimacy of the findings strengthened by independent ranking among the obstacles and strategies by using nurse researchers. The findings were recorded from the focused group used and after that conclusions were drawn. The data provided supportive evidence on the factors being tested on the focus group.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Apparent obstacles and strategies in self care of diabetes patients
Among the most reported obstacles are time restrictions, lack of adequate knowledge, lack of social support, lack of enough financial resources and lack of patient-provider relationship. The identification of the obstacles was crucial in lessening the undesirable effects of following the self management programs. Self management programs are difficult and entail the personal commitment in time to time and other aspects of a persons’ life. The World Health Organization had given out guidelines to promote medical practitioners to help patients identify ways of reducing difficulties and assist in the incorporation of self care into daily activities (World Health Organization, 2003). Among the factors identified to support adherence to self-care in daily activities are patient-centered, mutual and support positive behavior changes. On everyday basis diabetes patients must make multiple decisions in managing their based on their familiarity, beliefs, thoughts, income and support systems available to them.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

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In the research lack of knowledge and understanding about the correct diet plan was a major obstacle that was raised by the target group (Aljasem and Rubin, 2001). Diabetic patients usually need to understand what is required in their diet and what they should not eat so that the level of glucose in their blood is maintained to the correct level. This information should be clearly provided by the dietician or a nutritionist. Collaboration between the patient and health provider was crucial and where health providers did not pay attention or listen to the needs of the patients, they opted to change the healthcare practitioners to look for ones who would pay attention to their concerns and help then in making changes to the plan of care and also give simple instructions. Collaborative relationships between patients and the healthcare provider was very much valued by patients since they provided positive coaching and promoted self care and accountability.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

There was also unplanned care involving the hospital and the health provider as noted by some participants. Helplessness and disappointment as a result of negative experiences added to poor self care and follow-up. Participants reported helplessness since they didn’t experience glycogen control despite adhering to the self care programs. Unfavorable results from patients such as progression of the disease often leads to discouragement from the patients and they see this as fatal. (Jean & Meengs, 2006).Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Maintaining a positive attitude for diabetic patients through proactive learning helps them in the recovery path through self care. By obtaining research journal or books the patients were able to acquire tangible information that they could rely as they went ahead on self care. Social support was identified as a key factor in the self care. The diabetic patients appreciated of their support person to engage actively with them in education and management of activities. Lack of financial resources can worsen the self care program for diabetes patients. Financial resources are generally required to pay for prescriptions, pay hospital bills, healthcare provider and cater for elaborate dietary needs. Maintaining the correct medication administration times and routines was an obstacle to self care diabetic patients. Being deficient in resources lacking the knowledge about how to acquire resources is an obstacle jointly with the limitations of a set income and lack of insurance cover for dieticians. The use of medication boxes helped participants in remembering to take their medication without fail. Provision of group education to diabetic patients was found to be effective in self management of diabetes. Obstacles which associated with educational group gathering included inconvenient meeting times and classes taking too long and involving a lot of money.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

The main obstacles to diabetes self care include self-care lack of financial resources limited access to social support, minimal access to group education, lack of proper knowledge an understanding on the correct diet plan and regime, lack of information of a specific plan of care, exasperation and vulnerability from lack of glycogenic control frustration as a result of sustained disease progression despite the patients perceived following of the self care plan. Strategies to encourage diabetic self care include setting goals jointly with the patients’ health provider, involving in problem-solving activities and coping, maintaining a mutual relationship with the health care provider, upholding a positive attitude towards the disease and focusing on recovery, having people to provide personal support(Ryckman and Crebolder, 2000).Diabetes Self-Management Essay

In general healthcare providers are effective in managing patients with chronic diabetes which require decisions for control of glycogen to optimum levels. In control glycogen levels to the optimum diabetes patient should regularly consult their healthcare providers rather than relying on the normalized integrated programs incorporating exercises and dietary changes. This is because the health care provider will be able to give depending on the physiological state and biophysical needs of the patient after an assessment has been done.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

My interest in this topic is a result of recent experiences with Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 (DMI), especially with the following two instances: a young adult patient admitted at the hospital following a DKA episode during one of my nursing rotations and one of my instructors with type 1 diabetes. Also, my father was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, this has increased my eagerness to study and explore more about the disease. During one of my rotations, I was assigned a young adult patient who had run out of insulin and had been admitted to the hospital following a Diabetes Ketoacidosis (DKA) episode. I realized that my patient was probably torn between buying insulin and buying healthy food because her chart showed several admissions  Diabetes Self-Management Essay
My instructor showed empathy toward the patients with diabetes; she emphasized her understanding on how challenging the diabetes disease process can be and the importance of following a healthy diet and the medication schedule. As a diabetes educator, she offered us valuable resources and also emphasized the need for more diabetes educators while encouraging those of us who were thinking about it as a career path. Although neither of the instances: the young adult patient with a DKA episode, nor my instructor is an adolescent or a child, I decided to explore type I diabetes in adolescents and children because this is the development stage where most adolescents and children assume certain responsibilities. This is the stage where parents would like their children to have a role-play in their self-management of type 1 diabetes.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death in the world (Leak, Houchin and Shea, 2011). Treatment and management of this disease and its complications is also very costly, and it keeps rising. Therefore, most diabetic patients opt to self-manage this condition through such things as healthy eating, continuous physical activity, medication adherence, as well as regularly monitoring their blood glucose levels (Hayes et al., 2008). It is primary role of nurses to encourage and promote healthy lifestyles for all their patients (Hayes et al, 2008). However, nurses face constant challenges on how to effectively educate diabetes patients on how to self-manage the condition (Leak, Houchin and Shea, 2011). This paper will therefore look into diabetes self-management and the nurses’ role in assisting their patients to self-manage diabetes.Diabetes Self-Management Essay

Self-management refers to the process and ability that an individual employs in the attempt to take control of their disease, as opposed to being controlled by it (Richard and Shea, 2011). This ability is increased by the contribution of healthcare professionals, the community, and family members in symptoms, lifestyle changes, the inevitable consequences of the disease, and also treatments (Richard and Shea, 2011). The self-management process comprises of observing one’s health and incorporating strategies meant to manage medication and treatment, symptoms, safety, and other disease implications (Richard and Shea, 2011).Diabetes Self-Management Essay
For there to be effective management of these chronic health conditions, decisions have to be made in relation to sustaining physiologic stability and response to symptoms (Richard and Shea, 2011). About 99% of all diabetes care is self-administered by the patients, through physical and dietary lifestyle modifications (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). These patients also require all the information that can help them be aware of all the consequences of managing diseases poorly. This way, they can adopt an involved, active, and informed approach towards managing their disease.Diabetes Self-Management Essay
Nurses are the primary source of information for diabetes patients (Stiles, 2011). They should therefore be properly trained on how to handle patients who need education regarding self-management (Funnell and Weiss, 2008). Moreover, since self-management requires constant nurse-patient relationship, this relationship should never be underestimated (Stiles, 2011). It is therefore necessary that nurses have effective communication skills that help them develop and maintain this relationship. Nurses therefore have the legal and ethical duty to understand patient communication needs, and thus supply them with health information in ways that they can easily understand (Stiles, 2011).Diabetes Self-Management Essay
Nurses are responsible for instructing patients prior to discharge to guarantee that they are well-informed. When it comes to providing the relevant information to the clients, nurses should ensure that they answer all patient questions and concerns (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). For example, most patients are usually afraid that the kind of foods they are recommended to eat may be out of their reach (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). They therefore just ignore those foods and go back to the foods they are used to. However, nurses can take charge and help change this misconception by giving the patients other alternatives that are more affordable and attainable (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009).
Nurses should also instruct the patients and demonstrate to them which foods choices are carbohydrate-consistent, portion-controlled, and heart-healthy (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). Moreover, nurses can advice those patients who like eating out on the restaurants that will best address their new diets, so that the patients do not feel left out (Stiles, 2011). Moreover, patients need more guidance on which foods to avoid, and the best patterns to follow as they take their meals. For instance, nurses should ensure that they have made it clear that diabetes patients should avoid fruit juices, sweet tea, or soda between meals; as such sweet drinks have an effect on their blood glucose levels (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009).Diabetes Self-Management Essay
Various programs are established to promote self-management (Stiles, 2011). These programs act as interventions to patients in that they facilitate the patients’ capabilities to self-monitor their symptoms and be more active in decision-making regarding the management of their health (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). These programs are usually disease specific, such as diabetes self-management programs. The interventions comprise of role-playing, teaching, psychological support, use of information technology, and medical care (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). However, the success of self-management programs is not always obvious, but it is measured in terms of health outcomes such as quality of life, the use of health care resources, self-management behaviours, self-efficacy, use of medications, and general knowledge (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009).Diabetes Self-Management Essay
Rigorous patient education is another commonly used strategy formulated to facilitate self-management of diabetes (Hayes et al., 2008). This has increasingly been associated with better patient outcomes for glycemic control. It is therefore imperative that patients get adequate information regarding self-monitoring their blood glucose levels, as it is the easiest way to manage diabetes (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009).
It is not enough for nurses to just give patients instructions on how to manage their diabetic conditions after discharge (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). It is important for these healthcare professionals to go the extra mile and deal with each patient differently, since their condition can never be completely similar to someone else’s. In this regard, motivational interviewing (MI) (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009) is important so as to increase each patient’s internal motivation to improve their behaviour. MI is an approach that is patient-centered, and it encourages thorough discussion of the targeted behaviour changes (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009).Diabetes Self-Management Essay
Patients are more likely to change their behaviours when they feel that it is of personal importance to them. They are also more likely to view the changes as more achievable and even appreciate the benefits that come from these changes more (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). To achieve MI, nurses should be careful to ask questions in a way that does not seem intrusive to the patients. Individualized coaching is actually more effective, since there is the one-on-one interaction that can make a breakthrough easier to achieve (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009).
Although time to assess each patient individually may not be there, it is important to strive to reach and every one of them individually. This way, it is easier to come up with an exercise plan for each patient that is more likely to help them and to be followed than just giving a generalized exercise plan (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). This way, it is much easier for the patients to self-manage their conditions, thus resulting in positive outcomes.Diabetes Self-Management Essay
Moreover, the use of MI approach encourages patients to state their concerns about aspects of their lives that could make it difficult to change or improve their behaviour (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). This way, nurses can help them come up with alternative ways of handling themselves that ensure that they are still in control of their diabetes (Leak, Houchin and Mabrey, 2009). When nurses have current knowledge of self-managing diabetes, they are more helpful when it comes to helping their patients better manage diabetes.
At times, patients may not really grasp what self-management comprises of, and they may not ask for clarification (Stiles, 2011). This may be due to lack of understanding and low literacy levels of diabetes management. Nurses therefore have the responsibility of recognizing such individuals and explain the self-management concept in a language that these patients can easily derive what is required of them (Stiles, 2011). Nurses can also ask the patients to explain what they have learnt back to them in their own words (Stiles, 2011). This way, patients will have better understanding of managing their lifestyles so as to improve their glycemic control. By using these techniques, it will be easier to empower patients to make changes in their lives, as opposed to when the instructions given to patients are difficult to follow (Stiles, 2011).
As much as nurses would want to help their patients self-manage their conditions, patients must also show the initiative to be helped (Funnell and Weiss, 2008). They can do this by fully participating in the creation of their self-management plans (Funnell and Weiss, 2008). These individualized plans on self-management that emphasize on patient involvement are more effective in helping diabetic individuals deal better with the disease once they leave the hospital (Funnell and Weiss, 2008).Diabetes Self-Management Essay
For quite a number of diabetes patients, giving them written instructions on what to do upon discharge is not enough (Stiles, 2011). This is due to the fact that they may be medically illiterate (Stiles, 2011), and grasping written information may be impossible for them. Moreover, these patients face the disadvantage of not being able to access information relating to self-management of diabetes regularly (Stiles, 2011). They may even fail to book or attend medical appointments, collect prescriptions, or even add onto their knowledge on diabetes. To make matters worse, the complicated medical jargon does not help.Diabetes Self-Management Essay
It is therefore imperative to assist these medically illiterate patients understand what measures they are required to take to manage their diabetes condition (Stiles, 2011). Nurses are therefore the ones left with this responsibility. In such case, simple verbal information is more useful to the patients as opposed to complex written information (Stiles, 2011). Moreover, arranging the information into manageable units that follow one another can help the patients understand it better.
Additionally, it is important to simplify the healthcare system’s processes, policies, and procedures (Stiles, 2011). This way, patient knowledge increases, while their ability to understand and cope with their condition also increases (Stiles, 2011). When a patient does not understand what they are expected to do, they tend to be rude, harsh, and may even end up verbally assaulting the nurses attending to them (Stiles, 2011).
Illiterate patients are also quite likely to be at higher risks of hypoglycaemia, which makes them more vulnerable (Stiles, 2011). This makes them necessitate more assistance when going through hypoglycaemic episodes. Furthermore, failing to understand diabetes makes these patients feel disempowered, experience worse physical health, and also end up having lower life expectancy (Stiles, 2011).Diabetes Self-Management Essay
Although providing patients with the relevant information is important, nurses cannot force them to follow it; they can only motivate them (Funnell and Weiss, 2008). Nurses should therefore have skills such as goal-setting, problem-solving, and active listening (Funnell and Weiss, 2008). Since most patients end up feeling guilty when they fail to comply with the self-care recommendations they have been given, it is the nurses’ responsibility to encourage them to work on themselves instead of just giving up (Funnell and Weiss, 2008).
Nurses have the obligation to assess the stage of change a patient is in, how important change is to the patient’s life context (Hayes et al., 2008), the confidence a patient has about being able to change, and the patient’s readiness to change their behaviours. Moreover, nurses should follow through in helping their patients maintain their course of change by regularly providing them with the necessary information, building relationship and support, reinforcing and rewarding them for success, and assisting the patients get back on track should they relapse (Hayes et al., 2008). Diabetes Self-Management Essay