Introduction
The significance of treating diabetes mellitus is to lessen its effects as a chronic illness, uphold the quality of life, and decelerate the development of explicit and implicit problems (Sacks et al., 2011). This study discusses my role as a nurse in the examination of the health of an individual having diabetes and the provision of medical care. My friend, JB (initials used for confidentiality), visited me for diabetes treatment and I decided to administer a questionnaire first and analyze it to identify how it would guide care plan development.
Administration of the Questionnaire and Analysis of the Results
When my friend visited me at the health center accompanied by some of his friends and family members, I administered the questionnaire, which he completed (with their assistance where necessary) in about one hour. From the response, I found out that he had type II diabetes mellitus, depression as the comorbid illness, and his blood sugar level was high when experiencing the problem. His wife was the one that normally took care of him when the problem arose. Since the diabetes was diagnosed not long ago, he was yet to buy the device for checking the blood sugar level. In this regard, he only relied on symptoms such as extreme thirst, regular urination, and hunger, which usually arose with the occurrence of the problem, to go for a blood sugar test.
Contrary to type I diabetes mellitus, the bodies of individuals having type II diabetes generate insulin but either the generated insulin is inadequate, or the body is unable to utilize insulin normally. This makes glucose accumulate in the blood, and an insufficient amount of sugar (glucose) reaches the body cells, which makes the cells fail to operate appropriately. The accumulation of sugar in the blood is what causes augmentation in urination and excessive thirst thus leading to hunger and dehydration. It is vital to address the problem since if an individual gets regularly dehydrated; there are high chances of developing diabetic coma, which is a fatal problem. It is equally important to manage depression as it has its negative effects, which include deplorable self-care, decreased treatment compliance, and woeful glycemic control. In people with diabetes, depression has also been found to amplify cardiovascular disease-associated mortality (Van Dooren et al., 2013).
Discussed Responses
When he was first diagnosed with type II diabetes four months ago, JB was reluctant to admit it. He had to visit a different health institution for confirmation after which he gradually fell into depression. After the diagnosis, JB experienced an array of sentiments, for instance, anger, loss, sorrow, misery, denial, and reprieve (due to the identification of the problem that had been inducing the symptoms and the knowledge that it is treatable), in addition to nervousness and fear. Being a chronic illness, diabetes can be demanding since it necessitates management over one’s entire lifespan, and this is what worried JB much. JB at times felt overwhelmed by the feelings. However, his family members (mainly his wife) and friends assisted in offering crucial support and encouragement, and this progressively enhanced his coping skills. Unluckily, his wife later experienced similar feelings and almost got overpowered but his friends and family members had to support her too. Apart from giving moral, social, and financial support to JB and his wife, his friends, and family members also played a key role in ensuring that they sought treatment when needed and adhered to the doctor’s prescription and counsel.
How the Analysis Will Guide Care Plan Development
A careful analysis of the responses directed care plan development for JB’s condition by informing him, his family members, and his friends about the requirements for effective care. His friends and family members had to chip in since diabetes necessitates lifetime care. I urged JB, his family members, and friends to ensure that he abided by the treatment regimens, which encompass dietary limitations, regular eye tests, physical exercise, and self-monitoring of blood sugar levels. I notified them that negative health effects in the management of diabetes were linked to nonadherence. Nonadherence is believed to cause poor glycemic control and long-term medical problems, which encompass renal failure and retinopathy to mention a few (Lubkin & Larsen, 2011). To aid JB in self-monitoring of blood sugar levels (once or numerous times in a day), they contributed some money upon my request and bought an automated device. I taught them how to use it. In instances where dietary restrictions and workouts fail to control hyperglycemia, the medication I recommended for controlling the glucose level was metformin as it has the benefit of preventing numerous long-standing problems of diabetes.
Conclusion
The impact of the management of diabetes mellitus is to minimize the negative effects, support the quality of life, and slacken the development of overt and implied difficulties. This study has discussed my role as a nurse in the assessment of the well-being of JB, who has type II diabetes, and the provision of health care. This was possible after the administration of a questionnaire and analysis of the responses to determine the way it could steer care plan development.
References
Lubkin, I. M., & Larsen, P. D. (2011). Chronic illness: Impact and intervention (8th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Sacks, D. B., Arnold, M., Bakris, G. L., Bruns, D. E., Horvath, A. R., Kirkman, M. S., & Nathan, D. M. (2011). Guidelines and recommendations for laboratory analysis in the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes care, 34(6), 61-99.
Van Dooren, F. E., Nefs, G., Schram, M. T., Verhey, F. R., Denollet, J., & Pouwer, F. (2013). Depression and risk of mortality in people with diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One, 8(3), 570-578.