Introduction and SMART Goals
A 32-year-old male patient, Peter Dawson, is admitted to the hospital. A background check reveals that he works from home as a software developer and enjoys playing online games with friends and staying up late at night. Peter’s height is 177cm, and he weighs 57kg; therefore, his calculated BMI is 18.1. Peter was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in his early 20s and since then has lived healthy while managing the acute symptoms on his own. Peter lives alone, while his closest relative lives in Queensland. Currently, a new colostomy bag has been fixed due to the acute and severe symptoms of the disease that emerged.
Crohnâs disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel illness that causes the gastrointestinal system to be persistently inflamed. The disease causes several health concerns which need prompt intervention. First, the disease causes chronic pain, especially in the abdomen, due to the inflammatory process (Bakshi et al., 2021). Chronic pain can cause a disruption in oneâs daily activities. Therefore, it is essential to design a plan to help these patients manage their pain even when at home. Another vital aspect that should be included in the self-management plan is the control of diarrhea, evidenced by hyperactive bowel sounds and gases (Torres et al., 2017). The disease exposes one to a risk of losing a lot of fluids, resulting in dehydration. Another significant health concern that comes in handy with Crohnâs disease is weight loss due to excessive fluid loss. Even with proper calorie intake, weight loss may still ensue due to inflammation. Inflammation may result in increased use of the energy stored by the body and disintegration of bodily tissues- both can contribute to weight loss (Elburki et al., 2017). Hence, in preparing a self-management action plan for Peter, it is of essence to outline ways of ensuring that he has a significant weight gain for the next month.
An essential goal in managing Crohn’s disease is the alleviation of chronic pain. For that reason, the first goal is that pain will be managed at a scale of 3-4/ 10 for the next month. To guarantee pain management is effective, the client will go home with a prescription for pain relievers such as paracetamol and Endone. Another goal is that after a month of intervention, the patient will report reduced stool frequency and restored stool consistency to normal levels. In order to ensure that this is achieved, the patient will be discharged and given prescriptions for diarrhea-controlling medications such as Flagyl and Amoxicillin. The last goal is to increase the target of a normal BMI range of 18.5- 26 from 18.1 and an absence of indications of malnutrition. This must be accomplished by ensuring that the patient maintains healthy eating habits. Additionally, the patient will be given medications that help reduce diarrhea which can cause weight loss. For instance, he will be given antibiotics.
Consumer Directed Care and Self-Management
A self-management program is an assistance offered to persons with chronic diseases to help them monitor their health on an everyday level following discharge from the hospital. Self-management support may encourage individuals to understand more about their problems and play an active part in their health care. Support for clients’ self-management extends beyond merely providing information. In addition to a dedication to patient-centered care, it invites for the provision of meaningful and concise information to patients, the assistance of patients in setting goals and making plans to live a healthy lifestyle, the establishment of a crew of healthcare professionals, and the utilization of office platforms to support client follow-up. Individuals’ capacity to enhance their health is the goal of all self-management intervention initiatives.
Patients with long-term diseases make frequent use of healthcare services. Therefore, individuals’ responsibility in maintaining their long-term illness is significantly crucial. By increasing awareness and assistance for individuals living with a chronic ailment, healthcare professionals empower them to take an active role in managing their health, transforming them into ‘expert patients.’ This includes individuals taking steps to enhance their healthcare and well-being and collaborating with their health providers to improve their ability to manage day-to-day challenges. Furthermore, by empowering the patient with the confidence to manage the condition on his own, he will be able to make optimum use of their medications and treatments, resulting in adherence to the drugs and hence achieving the most significant potential results.
Through self-management, the patient will be able to identify the factors that aggravate or alleviate his condition. For example, according to a new study, patients suffering from severe pain may get depressed or scared and wish to end their lives (Michaelides et al., 2019). In addition, patients are often unable to perform many of the activities they could perform previously without discomfort. This condition of living in despair impacts their interactions with others and their ability to continue employment in some cases. Hence, a self-management plan helps the patient understand the factors that might cause the pain to increase, thereby forcing the need to control and reduce it.
As an example of tertiary preventive measures, self-management will help the client include his tertiary preventive initiatives at his level of functional status. In addition to teaching problem resolution and creativity in the management of sickness, these treatments may be used in various contexts and enhance the utilization of facilities in the community. These effective self-management interventions can be used in all stages of prevention and health, not only tertiary prevention (Anekwe et al., 2021). The ability to intervene at the individual level through self-management may have a favorable impact on health and wellness practices. A method based on self-management customized to diverse situations may conceivably be beneficial in preventing difficulties, establishing a healthy lifestyle pattern, and giving tools for reducing and managing sickness in later life.
Perfect health and the effectiveness of any therapy or intervention can only be achieved if patients actively participate in their care. A self-care plan may assist the patients in establishing and specifying realistic, attainable objectives for the client and provide a quantitative marker for achievement and satisfaction that these goals are fulfilled (Vernon-Roberts et al., 2018). As a nursing intervention, it successfully incorporates clients in their care and management, and it may help patients who are at threat of anxiety or are showing signs of stress. For example, in this case, Peter demonstrates a feeling of fear when he says that sometimes he is in shock due to worsening his condition. In this case, a proper care plan for managing anxiety will help him once he is discharged. With a self-management plan, the patient may enhance his treatment experience, gain more control of the disease, and feel more empowered in making self-care behavior adjustments.
The self-management plan also makes it possible for the patient to understand better how to handle and care for invasive devices. With appropriate healthcare education on the management of the device, he will be able to handle it and clean it at home without much assistance from healthcare workers or relatives. For instance, in the scenario, Peter has a temporary stoma inserted. According to the findings of a recent study, the training of stoma-management competencies at an early age is a significant issue for the health facility stoma care nurse (Kirkland-Kyhn et al., 2018). To guarantee that no important parts of educating and learning are overlooked, teaching should be done systematically, underpinned by solid foundations of education and understanding. It is essential to develop realistic learning outcomes in conjunction with the patient, taking into consideration their readiness and aptitude to learn (Kirkland-Kyhn et al., 2018). A structured exchange of knowledge between the hospital and the patient will confirm that learning and support are provided to patients after they have been discharged from the hospital, approving positive changes to stoma formation. As a result, this will enable them to complete their rehabilitation successfully.
Self-Management Care Plan.
Conclusion
In general, physicians and other healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, can play an essential role in promoting self-management in their clients by strengthening their ability to control their condition through positive reinforcement and education. It is also vital that they pay attention to the nature of their interaction with their clients of all ages as well as the nature of their conversation with them. Assessing and providing opportunities for people with IBD to interact with other clients through support network programming may be beneficial in boosting self-management, both directly and indirectly, through increased self-efficacy in the treatment of their disease. Assessing and providing opportunities for people with IBD to interact with other clients through support network programming may be beneficial in boosting self-management, both directly and indirectly, through increased self-efficacy in the treatment of their disease. Research demonstrates that it is possible to effectively administer treatments aimed at improving treatment adherence and general self-management, even though these techniques require effort and time on the part of the medical team.
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