Approach to Care
The process of managing the needs of patients with CHF is complicated extensively by the fact that CHF is a chronic disease (Baudendistel et al., 2015). In the case under analysis, the lack of financial support and health complications have led to the development of severe psychological distress in addition to the CHF problem. Therefore, the first step toward meeting the needs of the patient will require handling the traumatic feeling of being a burden that Mr. P. is currently experiencing. Afterward, treatment of edema and a coherent plan for managing CHF issues need to be introduced. Enhancing the support of his wife should be deemed as the next step. Finally, tools for controlling the patients’ condition and receiving further feedback will have to be incorporated into the nursing strategy.
Treatment Plan
Addressing the psychological concerns that Mr. P. currently has, particularly, the feeling of guilt, will have to be handled first. The specified step will require the introduction of a therapy aimed at enhancing the patient’s feeling of self-worth (Yue, Wang, Liu, & Wu, 2015). For the identified goal to be accomplished, the consistent support of Mr. P.’s wife and improved communication with her will be essential.
Afterward, Mr. P. will have to be provided with Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) for addressing the instances of CHF. The identified medication, particularly, benazepril (Lotensin), will help the patient to enhance his blood flow, thus, reducing the threat of a heart attack (Meystre et al., 2016). Thus, the CHF concern will be managed.
The problem regarding the development of edema will need to be resolved by reducing the levels of fluid retention. The specified objective can be achieved by using medications such as furosemide (Lasix) (Pellicori, Kaur, & Clark, 2015). However, any other type of diuretics can also be used to facilitate a better flow of fluids in the patient’s body and, thus reduce the current fluid retention rates.
Patient and Family Education
Apart from addressing evident health issues, a nurse should also view the introduction of key principles of personal health management to the patient and his wife as a necessity. Particularly, strategies for the active patient education must be deemed as crucial in the specified scenario. The education process will include offering Mr. P. and his wife extensive information about self-care and the identification of threats to Mr. P.’s health. Specifically, the factors that may entail the aggravation of the patient’s condition and the subsequent instance of CHF will have to be detailed.
Teaching Plan
- Helping Mr. P. and his wife learn crucial symptoms of CHF to identify a problem;
- Teaching Mr. P. and his wife about the factors that may trigger an instance of CHF;
- Providing Mr. P. and his wife with information about the available health resources and the means of contacting nearby healthcare facilities;
- Developing an action plan for Mr. P. and his wife in case of a CHF.
It is expected that the proposed teaching plan will help Mr. P. manage his current condition more efficiently. Particularly, the patient will be aware of the course of actions that must be taken in case of CHF. Therefore, the chances for the patient to face a fewer number of health complications as a result of his chronic CHF will be increased significantly. Moreover, the patient will be able to handle his current psychological issues. As a result, an overall improvement in Mr. P.’s condition is expected.
References
Baudendistel, I., Noest, S., Peters-Klimm, F., Herzberg, H., Scherer, M., Blozik, E., & Joos, S. (2015). Bridging the gap between patient needs and quality indicators: a qualitative study with chronic heart failure patients. Patient Preference and Adherence, 9, 1397-1405. Web.
Meystre, S. M., Kim, Y., Gobbel, G. T., Matheny, M. E., Redd, A., Bray, B. E., & Garvin, J. H. (2016). Congestive heart failure information extraction framework for automated treatment performance measures assessment. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 24(1), 40-46. Web.
Pellicori, P., Kaur, K., & Clark, A. L. (2015). Fluid management in patients with chronic heart failure. Cardiac Failure Review, 1(2), 90-95. Web.
Yue, P., Wang, L., Liu, C., & Wu, Y. (2015). A qualitative study on experience of nurses caring for patients with delirium in ICUs in China: Barriers, burdens and decision making dilemmas. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 2(1), 2-8. Web.