Type 2 diabetes is a pervasive chronic condition affecting millions of people in the United States. The condition affects not only the individuals diagnosed but also their families, who play an integral role in managing and supporting the condition. The disease, therefore, requires a comprehensive approach, including continuous medical management and lifestyle modifications for effective management. According to Kiwanuka et al.(2021), nurse-led interventions play a crucial role in the management of chronic conditions in critical care settings in improving family outcomes, educational involvement and family involvement. This paper, therefore, aims at discussing three nurse-led health promotion strategies that can be incorporated into nursing practice to enhance the wellbeing of type 2 diabetic patient and their families.
Patient education is one health promotion strategy to use. Effective management of type 2 diabetes is dependent on patient awareness and understanding, which necessitates comprehensive patient education. According to Chawla et al.(2019), effective patient education leads to enhanced knowledge, better attitude and adoption of the appropriate practices, which aids in having better glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients, thus slowing disease rate and preventing more complications. Additionally, health education is very resourceful in primary care settings where DM requires urgent engagement of healthcare providers to inform and motivate diabetic patients and encourage healthy lifestyle practices for better glycemic control (Chawla et al., 2019). Therefore, a nurse should implement regular education sessions for patients with diabetes on topics such as the relevance of blood glucose monitoring, adherence to medication and lifestyle modifications. They can use visual aids or interactive discussions to improve patient engagement. An example is developing an individualized education plan for patients while being considerate of their specific needs and styles of learning. Consequently, a nurse can organize monthly workshops and allow patients to engage actively in discussions about their experiences and ask about any concerns.
Family involvement is the second health promotion intervention. Recognizing the vital role of family in the care process is crucial for effective health promotion in the management of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, family support also significantly influences patients’ outcomes. According to Mphasha et al.(2022), family support and involvement with care are associated with improved diabetes outcomes and lack of support is linked with complications. Family plays a crucial role in patient self-management, particularly lifestyle modifications such as meal preparation and exercise, and ensuring medication adherence. Therefore, a nurse should establish a family support program that will provide education to the family members about type 2 diabetes, including its challenges and some of the ways they can help with the patient wellbeing wellbeing. A nurse should also organize family support group sessions that would allow families to share their experiences and learn from each other. Additionally, they should involve the family in the care plan meetings, which will promote holistic care. The nurse should also encourage collaboration and communication among the family members.
Thirdly, promoting lifestyle changes is an effective health promotion intervention. Lifestyle modification is key in managing type 2 diabetes. Hence, nurses have an integral role in assisting patients to adopt and sustain healthy lifestyle choices. According to Ahmad et al. (2020), nurse educator plays a key role in ensuring diabetic patients are compliant with long-term self-care management such as l physical activity and diet. Nurses must also ensure that patients are psychologically prepared and have adequate literacy when designing personalized care plans (Ahmad et al., 2020). Therefore, a nurse should tailor exercise programs and nutritional counseling based on the patient’s specific needs. A nurse should also collaborate with community fitness centers, dieticians and other community resources to ensure the patient has accessible and individualized interventions. For example, the nurse can work with a local fitness coach and design an exercise program that meets the needs of the patient. Collaborating with local dieticians is also advisable for personalized meal plans.
Therefore, incorporating health promotion strategies into the practice of nursing for a patient with type 2 diabetes requires comprehensive patient education, family involvement and support, and lifestyle modifications. Implementing these strategies will empower patients and their families to actively participate in the management of type 2 diabetes. As such, I have learned that nurses have an integral role in the management of chronic conditions, and, therefore, they should engage in continuous education to ensure evidence-based practices.
References
Ahmad, AA.N. Sallehuddin, AA.M, T., C.Y., & Rahman, A.H. (2020). Self-Care Management of Patients with Diabetes: nurses’ perspectives. J Diabetes Metab Disorder. 19(2): 1537–1542. Doi: 10.1007/s40200-020-00688-w
Chawla, SP.A. Kaur, S., Bharti, A. et al. (2019). Impact of health education on knowledge, attitude, practices and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Family Med Prim Care. 8(1): 261–268. Doi: 10.4103/jumps.jfmpc_228_18
Kiwanuka, F., Sak-Dankosky, N., Alemayehuc, H.Y., Clarke, R., & Kvist, T. (2020). The evidence base of nurse-led family interventions for improving family outcomes in adult critical care settings: A mixed method systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 1-13.
Mphasha, M.H., Mothiba, T.M. & Skaal, L. (2022). Family support in the management of diabetes patients’ perspectives from Limpopo province in South Africa. BMC Public Health 22, 2421 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14903-1
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