The role of nurses in patient education and self-management of chronic diseases

In caring for people with chronic conditions, nurses are vital. Additionally, an important nursing function in the management of chronic diseases is patient education. Long-term self-care and consistent treatment are essential for patients with chronic conditions. To successfully manage chronic diseases, patients must educate themselves about their conditions and chronic disease self-management. Patient handling, self-management, and self-efficacy skills can be improved by nurses through education. Regardless of their chronic illnesses, patients should be able to maintain or enhance their physical and psychological health and enjoy a high quality of life.

Additionally, the most effective way to prevent and control chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases, is through an integrated strategy that targets all important, comprehensive risk factors. Nurses are in a prime position to serve as care coordinators/case managers in integrated care programs, integrating primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive, health promotion, and related activities across multiple sectors and disciplines. Within interdisciplinary healthcare teams, nurses collaborate and serve as patient advocates.

Self-Efficacy, Management, and Quality of Life for Chronic Disease

Chronic disease is the main cause of death and disability worldwide. Chronic diseases are becoming more common around the world, affecting people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Poor disease self-management skills are common among people with chronic illnesses, and these abilities may be linked to low self-efficacy and reluctance to engage in self-management tasks. This would result in inadequate management of their chronic diseases, thereby reducing their quality of life. A person’s health is significantly affect by many chronic diseases, which are also strongly associate with reduced functioning, increase risk of mortality, and higher healthcare expenditures.

People’s coping mechanisms for dealing with their chronic illnesses and the difficulties that come with them can result in either good self-management of the condition or low self-efficacy. A person’s self-perceived ability to respond well in a range of situations is refer to as self-efficacy. This has a significant impact on patients’ ability to control the symptoms of their chronic diseases. Self-efficacy is important when it comes to determining whether self-care behaviors are initiate. How much effort is put in, and how long the effort is maintenance in the face of setbacks.

Steps to Support Self-management in Patients with chronic diseases

Physician actions

• Address medical and health literacy barriers to self-management.
• Provocative questioning and careful listening can help you pinpoint issues from the patient’s perspective.
• Based on the patient’s immediate issues, including goal-setting, action planning, and problem-solving techniques to overcome barriers.
• Connecting patients to neighborhood resources for self-management
• Educate them on self-management.

Practice change

• Follow up regularly with patients about action plans and goals in person, over the phone, or by email.
• Offer group tours that include instruction in self-management.
• Plan trips so that you have enough time to take care of self-management responsibilities.

Let us help you Put Life Back into Your Life!

For your benefit, the Mata Sahib Kaur College of Nursing offers free six-week classes on how to manage a chronic condition.

The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program is a complementary health education program for adults with any type of persistent medical condition that consists of six sessions. The goal of the workshop is to improve participants’ knowledge of how to manage their health and maintain an active, rewarding lifestyle. Participants lose or improve their problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Preparing them to handle the changing difficulties of coping with a chronic illness. Participants are welcome to bring a caregiver, family member, or friend.