Diabetic patient - Assignment Example

? Diabetic Patient Diabetic Patient Treating diabetes has become one of the most significant challenges for the healthcare providers around the globe. Approximately 3 million people are affected by the disease in UK alone while there is substantial majority which does not even know about their association with diabetes (What happens when you have diabetes?, 2012). Hence it is important to critically analyze the different affecting variables for diabetic patients while investing the most appropriate medications. This paper aims to study the importance of diabetic medication especially using Betty Neuman’s Mode in NANDA format. Moreover, it will develop a teaching learning intervention for such patients while analyzing healthcare disparity. Importance of Diabetic Medication Diabetes is a common disease prevailing in the world today. It is a lifelong health stipulation which actually occurs due to increased amount of glucose in blood. Primarily the body is unable to utilize all the excess glucose in this condition because of poor performance and lack of insulin production in the pancreas (What happens when you have diabetes?, 2012). Insulin is a hormone which helps the glucose to enter into the blood cells. Glucose is an essential source of instant energy which facilitates us in playing and working. However, when an individual encounters diabetes then it becomes significantly difficult for the victim to perform his/her daily tasks efficiently leading towards other dangerous conditions. Diabetic Medication is very important in order to control the level of glucose. This subsequently helps people in fighting against the disease while performing their routine duties. Although the diabetic medication cannot completely cure the disease but it plays a vital role in combating the adverse outcomes and hence patients are required to take these medicines lifelong. Neuman’s Mode in NANDA format is significantly used for treating the diabetic patients (Neuman& Fawcett, 2010). Before discussing the real impact of this methodology on patients it is important to first analyze the narrow characteristics of Neuman’s system model. Initially Neuman assumed certain things, for instance, he supposed that patients are entirely different from one another and that their responses to variable treatments are also unique. They are primarily influenced by numerous stressors and the overall external environment which creates hindrance in their medical recovery. Hence according to Neuman it is important to first cater to all these factors in order to treat a diabetic patient. The major components of his theory are basic structure, environment, open system, defense line, reaction, resistance, reconstitution and prevention(Betty Neuman's System Model, 2012). The Neuman’s system model is applied on diabetic patients through investigating their problems in the light of environmental stress, interpersonal factors, influence of social environment and the physical examination. It motivates the patients so that they can help themselves in their fast recovery. Thereafter it defines a clear treatment methodology to provide comprehensive care with the help of nurses (Neuman & Fawcett, 2010). Although Neuman’s NANDA format is found effective in curing the disease to some extent but on the whole it lacks the knowledge of diabetes and the symptoms of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. Moreover, it does not have an ability to formulate a follow up plan while on the other hand it has insufficient resources to identify the core reasons of diabetes. Developing a teaching and learning intervention The behavioral change theories tend to study a particular disease, physical issue or a mental problem in the light of behaviors which are triggered by the socio-economic and environmental factors. Today theorists and researchers believe that most of the diseases can be cured only by making an intervention in the behavioral patterns of the patients (Hayden, 2009). For instance, in order to cure diabetes nurses can play a significant role since they are specialized in altering the external environment of the infected individuals. Here the Neuman’s system model can be used because its primary focus is the system around patients. Diabetes has a very close association with the mental state of victims including their family background and hereditary characteristics which creates immense stress in them. Medication without altering the behavior of patients reduces the chances of successful treatment. Therefore it is important to consider the mindset of patients affected by diabetes so as to plan a behavioral intervention strategy for them (Hayden, 2009). This can be effectively done through the incorporation of genuine case studies and practical performances during the course of learning. Healthcare providers especially nurses should be well aware about the critical mental state of diabetic patients while on the other hand the teachers must increase the comprehension of behavioral theories as their prompt application can facilitate the early recovery of patients. After the completion of teaching plan the students i.e. patients or nurses must be able to identify the signs and symptoms of hypo and hyperglycemia. For instance, Hypoglycemia usually develops in an elderly patient already suffering from diabetes. In this condition the blood sugar level decreases while the patient experiences nervousness, fatigue, stomach pain and nausea. Contrary to this hyperglycemia is a state when the sugar level increases and subsequently the patient undergo thirst along with urination, agitation and weight loss (Effects of Diabetes on the Elderly, 2013). Hence it is important that the patients must know how to instantly react at all these symptoms while maintaining a follow up with the doctor. Moreover, administrating the medication is yet another important aspect which should be taught to the students. Nursing Diagnosis and Healthcare Disparity Nursing Diagnosis is significantly influenced by different factors including cultural and educational differences, special population and systems perspective. Healthcare disparity is present in almost all the nursing practices but their impact can be minimized by the medication. This are further associated with the behaviors of different patients and their distinctive socio-economic conditions. Following is the brief description of all these factors: Cultural Differences: They fundamentally include racial, religious, gender and age differences which broadly impacts the nursing diagnosis. People belonging to different cultures undergo diverse health issues which are often driven by their mindsets and cultural patterns. For this purpose healthcare providers use cultural competencies which encourages nurses to establish efficient relationships with the patients while overcoming all the cultural disparities. For instance, people belonging to black race are often subject to severe stress and oppression especially if they are residing in a society dominated by white people. This can subsequently lead to adverse health effects such as outbreak of severe diseases. Hence nurses are required to make diagnoses above the racial characteristics in this situation (Tripp-Reimer, et. al. 2001). Educational Differences: Low literacy rate broadens the communication gap between healthcare provider and the patient. This is further associated with the understanding of different treatment procedures and medications. Moreover, an illiterate person faces difficulty in trusting the physician or nurse because they don’t possess the knowledge and comprehension of the critical diseases hence depending completely over the diagnosis and prescription of nurses. The case becomes even more dangerous especially with completely illiterate diabetic patients because diabetes requires long term treatment which even lasts lifelong while having significant impacts on the overall behavioral patterns of the victims. It is often difficult for patients with poor education to control their diabetes or to administer the medication primarily because they have very insignificant knowledge about the signs and symptoms of the disease. On the other hand their illiteracy supports them in maintaining an overall ignorant attitude towards the healthcare. Therefore nurses need to incorporate the educational factors in their initial diagnoses as this will not only support them in identifying diseases on early basis while also facilitating the patients with best possible means (Beach & Cooper, 2005). Special Population: Dealing with chronic illnesses and clients with substantially negative approach towards life is another challenge for nursing diagnoses. Some patients develop transferable allergies while suffering from diabetes. Treating such patients from the nurses’ point of view is critical because they themselves can get affected by the chronic elements of the disease while on the other hand removing the negative thoughts from patients is also difficult. This is primarily because it involves a lot of time while having less chances of recovery (Beach & Cooper, 2005). Systems Perspective: Neuman identified that people significantly possess unique characteristics which are projected through their individual personalities, social groups, family backgrounds and the associated organizations. Hence it is important for the nurses to base their diagnosis on the individual patients only because the treatment methodologies may vary from person to person. Considering the environmental factors and the substantial stressors is also important to successfully deal with the victims. Additionally the careers of people and their particular job requirements also create hindrances in the nursing diagnosis (Beach & Cooper, 2005). References Beach, M.C. & Cooper, L.A. (2005). Cultural Competency: A Systematic Review of Health Care Provider Educational Interventions. Medical Care , 356-373. Betty Neuman's System Model. (2012, Jan 28). Retrieved Oct 5, 2013, from Nursing Theories. Effects of Diabetes on the Elderly. (2013). Retrieved Oct 6, 2013, form Diabetic Care Services and Pharmacy. Hayden, J. A. (2009). Introduction to Health Behavior Theory. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Neuman, B. & Fawcett, J. (2010). Neuman Systems Model. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Tripp-Reimer, T., Kelley, L.S. & Enslein, J.C. (2001). Cultural Barriers to Care: Inverting the Problem. Diabetes Spectrum , 13-22. What happens when you have diabetes? (2012). Retrieved Oct 5, 2013, from Diabetes UK . Read More