Nurses play an essential role in impacting the experiences and care of patients with heart failure. Generally, the medical personnel plays a critical role in helping the patients understand the disease's impact in their daily lives and create awareness of interventions that will significantly improve their health (Nicol, 2011). Edith is lucky to have Martin Melville as her nurse expertise. He is both caring and empathetic, virtues that have helped her in coping with the disease. She admits that Martin, her nurse, would always find a solution for her whenever she feels unwell. With the increased number of people living with long-term conditions, it is crucial to equip the nurses with the necessary knowledge and skills to cope with the varying complications (Nicol,2011). One needs to have proper medical expertise in dealing with the pathological condition of the patient. Martin best demonstrates this as he administers different drug combinations to his patient as the disease manifests. Also, with his diverse knowledge, he can design an effective care plan.
It is expected that the nurse should be empathetic to the patient. Empathy in nursing helps build trust with the patient by focusing on the patient's perspective. This boosts the communication with the patient as one can understand how the patient is coping with the condition, which improves the patient's health outcomes, ensures satisfaction, and increases patient compliance rates. When Edith approached Martin, she insisted she had to get well to attend her grandson's wedding. He helped her to manage the symptoms, which enabled her to witness her grandson's marriage ceremony.
Open-mindedness is also crucial in managed care. This enables them to deal with different conditions rather than the primary condition with a lot of ease. With Edith spending most of her time at home, her muscles stiffness. Martin can discern the state and introduces her to swimming which she enjoys. She even says it is relaxing and sleeps in peace after the swimming session. Open-mindedness in dealing with long-term patients, helps deal with even complex cultural issues. One needs to appreciate that society comprises different individuals with different interests, competencies, ethnic backgrounds, languages, and traditions. Valuing diversity means recognizing different cultures, understanding that difference does not mean deficiency, appreciating the aspects offered by different cultures, encouraging participation of the diverse groups, empowering them to achieve their maximum potential, and celebrating the diverse nature of society. It ensures fairness in the care of the patient, which boosts the recovery rate.
Conclusion
Coping with LTCs such as heart failure disrupts the daily activities of the people living with them. Self–acceptance and appreciation help the patients to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and medication. Having effective communication channels between the patient and the medical specialist will facilitate access to quality healthcare. Similarly, receiving support from both family members, medical specialists, and the community reduces the impact of LTC on the patient. Individual self-care helps in promoting the patient's independence, especially elderly patients.
References
Bonow, R.O., Mann, D.L., Zipes, D.P. and Libby, P., 2011. Braunwald's heart disease e-book: A textbook of cardiovascular medicine. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Carrier.J.,2016. Managing Long Term Conditions in Primary and Community care. Available at <www. magonlinelibrary.com>.
Donnellan, C., 2015. The Baltes’ model of successful aging and its considerations for Aging Life Care™/geriatric care management. Journal of Aging Life Care. Fall 2015.
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